d/b = dry bean, bush
d/p = dry bean, pole
sn/b = snap bean, bush
sn/p = snap bean, pole
BB = Broad Bean
July 9 – Between the beans coming up with no first set of leaves, the beans that died because of pest damage to the first set of leaves that *did* develop, and the one that had their tips snapped off by magpies, it has been a less-than-impressive year for beans in the north garden.
Painted Mountain Corn (flour or cornmeal type, early, heirloom, multi-coloured)
Date sown - April 17 – started indoors on wet paper towel
~ Two weeks later, transferred them into square containers about 2 inches deep and filled the bottom with vermiculite. They seem to love this, and have been growing steadily!
May 25 – planted transplants outside in raised bed along the driveway.
June 13 – between cool nights, being wind-whipped for days on end, and a lot of rain, the corn haven’t grown. At this point, the leaves are more yellow/beige than they are green. Still hoping they bounce back and produce mature corn by the end of the season.
July 9 – not sure what it up with this corn. It is finally starting to grow in thickness and in height, but some plants have silks coming out the tops when no corn has developed yet. Kind of mutant looking.
September 15 – This was a failed experiment! I don’t know if the weather was too cool and wet, or if the roots were too damaged during transplanting, or some combination of both. Harvested the few small, weird-looking cobs that developed and will dry the kernels to feed to the birds!
NEXT YEAR: Start in individual pots so there isn’t any root damage when transplanted outside.
Date direct sown: May 6
Germinated: Began to germinate May 23.
Observations:
July 9 – these are about 4 feet tall right now and have developed flowers (black and white). Unusual looking plants. Neat!
Would grow again? Maybe, but likely not next year. I grew these out of curiosity more than anything else.
Kahnawake Mohawk– d/p
Date direct sown: May 23 in raised bed along driveway (3 beans)
Germinated: First one germinated June 4.
Observations:
June 10 – All beans germinated and are looking robust and healthy.
July 9 – Growing really well! All 4 beans germinated and they are winding their way up the pole. About four feet up at this point.
July 26 – Very pleased with how these are growing! They have already reached the top of the pole (7 feet?) and it looks like they will grow past it.
September 15 – Frost killed the leaves before the beans matured in the pods. All are still bright green, and few have distinct bumps (beans) showing. I picked a few pods and have brought them inside to see if they will dry and if any have mature beans in them. This variety is VERY prolific – it’s a shame that August was so cool and wet and that the beans didn’t have a chance to fully mature. L
Approximate date harvested: None harvested
Flagg (Chester, Skunk) - d/p
Date direct sown: May 24 (14 beans) around four poles in north garden.
Germinated: Began to germinate June 7.
Observations:
June 11 – these seem a little slow to germinate. Only three have come up so far and of the three, only one looks really healthy. Not sure if the soil is too heavy in this spot (clay) or if the beans are old. Dug around to see if the rest had germinated. They seem to have rotted in the dirt (I can’t find them). I planted the last 6 seeds I had to replace them.
June 24 – None of the 6 replacement seeds germinated!
September 15 – the pods do not look like they have begun drying on the vine yet, though frost has killed the leaves. The pods are plump, though, and the few I have picked and opened show mature beans that just need to dry. Pleased that I finally managed to grow and harvest a variety of pole dry beans.
Approximate date harvested:
Would grow again? If growing again, plant in sandier/softer soil – e.g., raised beds along the driveway.
Date direct sown: May 29 in rectangular window box along south side of house (in front of tomato bed). Six seeds planted.
Germinated: Started to germinate June 7.
June 10 – all germinates, looking healthy!
Observations:
September 15 – these bean pods were among the first to dry on the plants, and the pods I picked are drying well indoors.
Approximate date harvested:
Would grow again? Yes! These mature and dry early.
Butterscotch Beans – d/b
Date direct sown: May 31 in north garden
Germinated: Began to germinate June 10.
Observations:
July 9 – Coming along, but are not particularly robust. A large number of them same through the soil without the first set of leaves or were heavily damaged by some sort of pest once they were through the soil. Replanted a few; about 3 made it.
September 15 – this variety doesn’t seem particularly prolific and the pods are taking a very long time to dry. Nice beans, though!
Would grow again? Yes, but likely not next year.
Cattle – d/b
Date direct sown: May 29 along end of raised bed along driveway. Thirteen beans planted.
Germinated: Began to germinate June 7.
Observations:
July 9 – Pleasantly surprised by these – the plants are very robust and healthy.
September 15 – these beans were among the first to dry on the plant and the pods I have picked are drying well indoors.
Would grow again? Yes! Early to mature and dry.
Date direct sown: May 24 in window box container. (5 beans)
Germinated: Started to germinate June 7.
Observations:
June 10 – these seedlings are looking healthy and like they will be large plants.
Approximate date harvested:
Would grow again? These were hit by frost well before they had matured. I managed to get 5 beans from these plants (beans that might or might not germinate when planted) – the same number of beans I planted in the first place.
Mary Ison’s Little Brown Bunch Bean – d/b with runners
Date direct sown: May 31 in raised bed along driveway.
Germinated: Began to germinate June 7.
Observations:
September 15 – these produced a LOT of bean pods, but the pods are taking a very long time to dry, regardless of whether I leave them on the (currently dead due to frost) plants, whether I have the plants hanging to dry indoors, or whether the pods are in a cardboard box to dry. The beans are paler brown (beige, really…) than the ones I planted and the pictures I have seen of this variety. I am hoping that as the beans dry, they will darken to the ‘original’ colours (deep brown with very dark brown flecks).
Would grow again? Yes, though it will always be a toss-up as to whether the season will be hot, dry, and long enough for them to do well.
Date direct sown:
Germinated: Began to germinate June 8.
Observations:
July 9 – these are growing well – always robust and reliable.
Would grow again? Yes! Easy to grow, mature fairly early, pretty beans.
Date direct sown: May 24 – small raised bed beside car.
Germinated: First ones germinated ~June 2.
Observations:
July 9 – these are growing very well this year, after less-than-stellar performances the last two times I grew them. Healthy plants, high germination rate, free of leaf damage/pests.
July 26 – these continue to grow very well this year, with a few healthy looking runners, to boot!
September 15 – slugs did a lot of damage to the leaves of these plants late in the summer. The first frost of the year (on the 11th) killed the leaves. Many of the bean pods were still green and the beans inside not mature. I am harvesting the pods that are pale/beige with purple flecks on them in hopes they will dry out indoors and the beans inside will be okay. NONE of the pods had reached the drying stage on the plants before the frost hit.
Would grow again? Yes
Speckled Palapye Cowpea
Date direct sown: May 29 in raised bed along driveway, near currant bush.
Started to germinate: Saw first one June 4.
Observations:
June 10 – a few germinated but did not develop the first leaves (or else the first leaves were chewed of by a pest). Several developed leaves but they were stunted and/or chewed on. Sprayed the seedlings with a bug spray this morning to prevent further damage.
July 9 – These are growing more slowly than I expected them to, but they look fairly healthy, considering the poor soil they are in.
Early September – even though we haven’t had a frost yet (nights have been cool but have remained above zero), the leaves on the plants look like they’ve been touched by frost and are dying. I did some research online and read that cowpeas “are not hardy plants” and not only do not tolerate frost, they do not tolerate cool temps. Opps. Pulled out the plants and composted them. They had just begun to put out the very tips of pods! No complete pods had developed yet.
Would grow again? No
Ireland Creek Annie (d/b)
Date direct sown: May 31 – one row in north garden
Germinated: Started to germinate June 10.
Observations:
September 15 – pods have begun to dry (some indoors in cardboard boxes and I left some on the plants outside). Beans are plain in appearance (beige), but this is one of the earlier varieties I have grown.
Would grow again? Yes! Early to mature and dry.
Derby snap - b/sn
Date direct sown: May 31 in north garden
Germinated: Started to germinate June 8.
Would grow again? Yes. This was my second year growing these. Reliable and tasty.
Date direct sown: May 31 in north garden
Germinated: Started to germinate June 8.
Would grow again? Yes! This was my second year growing these. Prolific, tasty – my favourite string bean.
Date direct sown: June 3 in small section of raised bed along driveway
Germinated: Started to germinate June 7.
Would grow again? Yes, though they aren’t in my “top 3” string beans.
Date direct sown: June 4 in round, green container at back of house.
Observations:
July 26 – Only 1 of the 7 or 8 beans I planted grew! I think these were from a bunch of seeds I saved several years ago.
Would grow again? Yes, though likely not next year.
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