Pole beans

Nematode · September 30, 2016

I know this is tomatoville, but sometimes I just can't believe how good pole beans taste.
I love tomatoes, but long after the last leaker has drained itself on the counter I still crave green beans. It's like tomatoes are the rock stars and green beans are the roadies, or something like that....

jtjmartin · September 30, 2016

What are your favorites?

Nematode · September 30, 2016

Currently Fortex and Northeaster.
Both are stringless.
I would entertain others..... What do you recommend fellow bean lover?

I will say my mothers maiden name is Bean, so there must be some history.

Worth1 · September 30, 2016

I like green beans too and as far as I am concerned the more you screw with them the more you ruin them.
Like a pretty girl wearing makeup, she doesn't need it.

Maybe some bacon or a little salt pork or something but that is it not including the girl, well maybe.
They are one of the few things I dont spice up.
Who ever dreamed up green bean casserole should be tared and feathered and ran out of town on a rail.

Not one green bean I grew this year made it to the house I ate them all in the garden.

Worth

Nematode · September 30, 2016

Oops double post

jtjmartin · September 30, 2016

It was my first year with a full garden in VA. I'm getting used to the change from WI. My bush beans did and are doing great - Contender (in early), Jade II, and Blue Lake.

My pole beans (Blue Lake) did horrible. I think they started to flower just when the high heat hit - they were a disaster - all leaf, no beans.

When I was dating my wife 32 years ago she fixed a green bean casserole - I couldn't find the beans. Shortly after, we moved for my first job to Appalachia - she learned to cook from our friends there. Green beans, a little stock, and some bacon grease. Yum!

jtjmartin · September 30, 2016

Nematode:

Thanks for the ideas. Looks like Fortex can grow up to 11 inches and Northeaster is a roma - I'll give them a try.

Zeedman · October 1, 2016

Beans of all kinds are my primary interest (heresy in this neck of the woods, I know) so a list of all of my favorites would be long. Right now the growing season is nearing the end, and all the beans are ripening furiously. For all but one, I already have enough dry seed to replace the older seed in the collection.

This is one of my favorite times of the year, because most of the beans I grow are good as shellies. We've been eating fresh shellies daily for over a week, with at least 2-3 weeks more to come. Zlatac is an heirloom pole wax bean, but it also produces really good shellies if allowed to ripen; I froze 10 pints of shelled beans. We just finished shelling and cooking Striped Cornfield, one of DW's favorites... she'll be snacking on them for a week.

We also shelled out all of the remaining Ma Williams (a.k.a. Goose); large-seeded, easy to shell, and incredibly productive. Fat pink pods when ripe. Probably the best all-round shelly, and the one that first got me interested in shelly beans.

Bosnian Pole shellies are ready to harvest, if the rain ever stops. Tetovac is the only variety dragging its feet; it has only now begun to dry down a few pods. It appears that the freeze will be late this year, though, so I'm hopeful that I'll still get a fair amount of dry seed - and a big shelly harvest.

For snaps, I rotate between Fortex, Emerite, and Kentucky Wonder White #191; it was Emerite's turn this year. It was planted late (the last week of June) and still did really well.

Violet's Multi-colored Lima is bearing heavily, and I already have several pounds of dry seed; so I'll be freezing the remainder as butterbeans. Like all the beans but one, it has done exceptionally well, so that should be a good harvest. The runner bean I grew for seed & shellies (Bianco de Spagna) is covered with fat pods, but nothing yet beginning to ripen; I may get shellies, but dry seed looks unlikely at this point.

kath · October 1, 2016

We really enjoy our pole beans, too, and have tried both Fortex and Noreaster, but Rattlesnake and Emerite have performed better and tasted better for us.

Farmette · October 1, 2016

Grew Helda Romano and Golden Gate pole beans. In spite of the damage from Japanese Beetles, we had trouble keeping up with them. Both were very meaty and very productive.

Father'sDaughter · October 1, 2016

I'm partial to Roma style pole beans and have grown Super Marconi, Romano, and this year dad gave me seeds for an unknown variety he's been growing for years. My husband and I love them boiled in salted water until tender then "dressed" with good olive oil.

For snaps, Tormato turned me on to Provider, and boy do they live up to their name!

NewWestGardener · October 1, 2016

My favorite is Liberty runner beans that I mail ordered from UK,they are big, tender and sweet, if you get them before the pods fill up. Some can reach 1 foot long and still tender. Not good for dry summer under high heat though. They are the ealiest to produce and again when cooler.
I grew Scarlet runner, moonbeam, and Insuk xx this year. Only Liberty is still producing now, in clusters.

NewWestGardener · October 1, 2016

I was also impressed by "Pension" from Johnny's. Super productive little bushes with flat pods that's stringless.

rxkeith · October 2, 2016

my favorites,

my great uncle steves italian pole bean.
mr tung
case knife good for short season climates. easy to save seed.
sicitalian black swamp pole bean
marengo first time growing good romano type yellow bean
marie amazalitai a yellow bean shaped like the number 6
tennessee red eye fall bean

keith

bluelacedredhead · October 3, 2016

For green, love Fortex and Cherokee Trail of Tears. Spouse loves wax beans and since we have a small urban plot, I've been trying unsuccessfully in recent years, to find a wax pole bean that tastes good and freezes well. So far, all I seem to be doing is Dreaming the Impossible Dream.. Any suggestions from the Bean Lovers here? Thanks.

September 30, 2016	#1
Nematode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: massachusetts Posts: 1,710	Pole beans I know this is tomatoville, but sometimes I just can't believe how good pole beans taste. I love tomatoes, but long after the last leaker has drained itself on the counter I still crave green beans. It's like tomatoes are the rock stars and green beans are the roadies, or something like that....

September 30, 2016	#2
jtjmartin Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2016 Location: Williamsburg VA Zone 7b Posts: 1,110	What are your favorites?

September 30, 2016	#4
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	I like green beans too and as far as I am concerned the more you screw with them the more you ruin them. Like a pretty girl wearing makeup, she doesn't need it. Maybe some bacon or a little salt pork or something but that is it not including the girl, well maybe. They are one of the few things I dont spice up. Who ever dreamed up green bean casserole should be tared and feathered and ran out of town on a rail. Not one green bean I grew this year made it to the house I ate them all in the garden. Worth

October 1, 2016	#8
Zeedman Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 313	Beans of all kinds are my primary interest (heresy in this neck of the woods, I know) so a list of all of my favorites would be long. Right now the growing season is nearing the end, and all the beans are ripening furiously. For all but one, I already have enough dry seed to replace the older seed in the collection. This is one of my favorite times of the year, because most of the beans I grow are good as shellies. We've been eating fresh shellies daily for over a week, with at least 2-3 weeks more to come. Zlatac is an heirloom pole wax bean, but it also produces really good shellies if allowed to ripen; I froze 10 pints of shelled beans. We just finished shelling and cooking Striped Cornfield, one of DW's favorites... she'll be snacking on them for a week. We also shelled out all of the remaining Ma Williams (a.k.a. Goose); large-seeded, easy to shell, and incredibly productive. Fat pink pods when ripe. Probably the best all-round shelly, and the one that first got me interested in shelly beans. Bosnian Pole shellies are ready to harvest, if the rain ever stops. Tetovac is the only variety dragging its feet; it has only now begun to dry down a few pods. It appears that the freeze will be late this year, though, so I'm hopeful that I'll still get a fair amount of dry seed - and a big shelly harvest. For snaps, I rotate between Fortex, Emerite, and Kentucky Wonder White #191; it was Emerite's turn this year. It was planted late (the last week of June) and still did really well. Violet's Multi-colored Lima is bearing heavily, and I already have several pounds of dry seed; so I'll be freezing the remainder as butterbeans. Like all the beans but one, it has done exceptionally well, so that should be a good harvest. The runner bean I grew for seed & shellies (Bianco de Spagna) is covered with fat pods, but nothing yet beginning to ripen; I may get shellies, but dry seed looks unlikely at this point.

October 1, 2016	#9
kath Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: zone 6b, PA Posts: 5,664	We really enjoy our pole beans, too, and have tried both Fortex and Noreaster, but Rattlesnake and Emerite have performed better and tasted better for us.

October 1, 2016	#10
Farmette Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2009 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 985	Grew Helda Romano and Golden Gate pole beans. In spite of the damage from Japanese Beetles, we had trouble keeping up with them. Both were very meaty and very productive.

October 1, 2016	#11
Father'sDaughter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: MA/NH Border Posts: 4,919	I'm partial to Roma style pole beans and have grown Super Marconi, Romano, and this year dad gave me seeds for an unknown variety he's been growing for years. My husband and I love them boiled in salted water until tender then "dressed" with good olive oil. For snaps, Tormato turned me on to Provider, and boy do they live up to their name!

October 1, 2016	#12
NewWestGardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada Posts: 564	My favorite is Liberty runner beans that I mail ordered from UK,they are big, tender and sweet, if you get them before the pods fill up. Some can reach 1 foot long and still tender. Not good for dry summer under high heat though. They are the ealiest to produce and again when cooler. I grew Scarlet runner, moonbeam, and Insuk xx this year. Only Liberty is still producing now, in clusters.

October 2, 2016	#14
rxkeith Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Back in da U.P. Posts: 1,848	my favorites, my great uncle steves italian pole bean. mr tung case knife good for short season climates. easy to save seed. sicitalian black swamp pole bean marengo first time growing good romano type yellow bean marie amazalitai a yellow bean shaped like the number 6 tennessee red eye fall bean keith

October 3, 2016	#15
bluelacedredhead Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Northwest shore of Lake Ontario Zone 6b Posts: 117	For green, love Fortex and Cherokee Trail of Tears. Spouse loves wax beans and since we have a small urban plot, I've been trying unsuccessfully in recent years, to find a wax pole bean that tastes good and freezes well. So far, all I seem to be doing is Dreaming the Impossible Dream.. Any suggestions from the Bean Lovers here? Thanks.