Heres my bean and okra lineup..

GIZZARDFARM · February 20, 2008

O.K. folks lets hear ya'lls thoughts on these beans and okra. Keep in mind i need good taste and high output as I sell at market also.

okra- crimson spineless

pole beans- rattlesnake, kentucky wonder, fortex, white macasslin, and blue lake (i still havent decided in yellow wax yet suggestions)

bush beans- blue lake

Ive never grown bush beans before so i could use advice on that.. also i need okra advice i need poundage if there is any that produces more than crimson spinless let me know.

would it be better as far as yeild to just plant more pole beans and leave out the bush beans?

gardengalrn · February 20, 2008

I can't help ya with the okra but your bean selection sounds good. I haven't grown white macasslin so I can't speak to that. Rattlesnake and Fortex are both excellent for fresh flavor. I tend to like the Blue Lake (pole) for canning because they are very round and generally uniform. So your selection will appeal to different people.
I don't grow for the market (yet!) but I grow a patch of bush beans each year. They come in earlier than the poles and there are some varieties that are so tasty I have to grow them. Dragon's Tongue is a good one as is a variety of romanos or flat podded types. In my experience you will get more yield off a pole bean but if you want a few weeks earlier, try a small patch of bush.

GIZZARDFARM · February 21, 2008

Thanks...........

shelleybean · February 21, 2008

Somebody here, maybe duajones, had tremendous success with Clemson Spineless last summer. Maybe that person will chime in.

I like McCaslan and Fortex. Not crazy about Kentucky Wonder. I grew KW Wax last year and it had too many strings for me. I think if you want to can or freeze a whole bunch of beans at once, bush beans might be the way to go because you can pick so many at once. If not, I think pole beans about always have more flavor than bush beans, but that's just me.

shelleybean · February 21, 2008

BTW, if you decide to go with bush beans, I highly recommend "Bountiful." You can pick for weeks and weeks from just one planting. The pods are just slightly flattened, similar to a Romano type bean, but not quite as wide. These will remain stringless if you keep up with the picking. You can get seeds from SSE or Heirloom Seeds. Maybe Landreth, too.

duajones · February 21, 2008

Michele, I did have good success with Clemson Spineless last year, my first time ever growing okra. I had them in a raised bed. Sowed seeds April 3rd and harvested first pod May 28th. 5 plants gave me around a hundred pods each during the season. I had to use a ladder to harvest near the end as they reached 12 ft or taller. Being a newbie, my choice for soil probably wasnt the best but it worked out. I had a mixture of landscapers mix, cotton burr compost, manure and peat. Caused me to have to water every day during the summer. I plan to add some sandy loam to the mix this year in hopes of a little more moisture retention. And I am giving Lousiana Green Velvet a try this year, 8-10 plants instead of 5 as I am told that it wont be as productive as the CS

shelleybean · February 21, 2008

Yeah, Worth is always singing the praises of Louisiana Green Velvet. I'm trying White Velvet this year. I loved having okra in the garden last year. I didn't realize how much I liked it until I grew it. Now I'd never be without.

robin303 · February 21, 2008

I agree the crimson spineless , kentucky wonder and the blue lake is in my garden year after year. Why mess with a good thing. That okra does reach 12'.

duajones · February 21, 2008

My CS plants grew really fast as the pictures below show.

robin303 · February 21, 2008

The problem I had was they bloomed in the evening and they were just right at noon the next day but that evening they were to big. Silly plants. I had seven one year which was to much so I will limit it to three this season. Can’t even give it away because nobody knows how to cook it.

gssgarden · February 21, 2008

Afew years ago I started getting my peas and beans from Vermont bean seed company and have been happy as far as beans go.
My fav and biggest producer is Stallion. Followed by Top Crop, Matador, and Golden Rod for yellow. Tried Harvester last year and it was o.k. Mostly, if not all are used for fresh eating and Mom's bean soup!!
The safe bet is Stallion. I usually plant about a 12' row of beans of 2-3 varieties in my 12' bed, and if you pick 'em young, Stallion will keep comin' and comin'. They'll be going in again this year too.

www.vermontbean.com

Haven't done pole beans yet.

Good luck,

Greg

Ruth_10 · February 21, 2008

I prefer Blue Lake pole over Kentucky Wonder because KW has strings. A cross between the two is called Kentucky Blue. We grew it last summer and it was very tasty. It has more string than BL but less than KW. The beans came in a little earlier for the Kentucky Blue than the Blue Lake.

For a bush bean, I've been pleased with Tendergreen (or Tendergreen Improved). I do what Lori does, plant some bush beans for an early crop. I also plant some late in the season for a fall crop. I will usually get at least one picking before frost hits.

I grew two types of okra last year. Evertender (OP from Sandhill) gave a good crop of pods. Plant grew to about 20 ft tall. Cajun Delight (hybrid from Territorial) is a bush variety that also is high yielding and tasty and easy to harvest.

gardengalrn · February 24, 2008

Robin303, how do you cook them? I've never had okra that I liked but I've only tried it once....while in basic training for the Air Force, LOL. There are a lot of things I like now that I didn't like then so I'm curious how you prepare them other than frying?

Ruth_10 · February 27, 2008

I'm not Robin, but here's how I like to eat okra. This is simple and quick. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Throw in the okra (pick them small so they're tender), put the lid on, and let the pot come back to a boil. That should only take a couple of minutes. The okra will be cooked tender, but not falling apart. Then drain, salt lightly, and eat with a sliced up fresh tomato. I find the two flavors and textures very complimentary. Also, the acidity of the tomato helps to cut the okra slime.

Truly, it does. I often have it for lunch on the weekend in the summer.

Many people bread and fry okra, but that is a whole 'nother recipe and load of calories.

robin303 · February 27, 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by gardengalrn

Robin303, how do you cook them? I've never had okra that I liked but I've only tried it once....while in basic training for the Air Force, LOL. There are a lot of things I like now that I didn't like then so I'm curious how you prepare them other than frying?

The reason people don't like okra is the big complaint of it being slimy the trick is put 1 table spoon of white vinegar in the water when you cook. With this and all vegetables you bring to a boil then just simmer or you cook out the vitamins. After cooked to taste then I put the okra after drained into a separate pot already simmering of Del Monte’s stewed tomatoes [I Cheat] and after you season to taste then put it on a bed of rice. Parents had a restaurant and had me start at the age of 8. Mostly Southern Style.
[PS What did you do in the USAF. Thanks]

February 20, 2008	#1
GIZZARDFARM Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: COMFORT TENNESSEE Posts: 300	Heres my bean and okra lineup.. O.K. folks lets hear ya'lls thoughts on these beans and okra. Keep in mind i need good taste and high output as I sell at market also. okra- crimson spineless pole beans- rattlesnake, kentucky wonder, fortex, white macasslin, and blue lake (i still havent decided in yellow wax yet suggestions) bush beans- blue lake Ive never grown bush beans before so i could use advice on that.. also i need okra advice i need poundage if there is any that produces more than crimson spinless let me know. would it be better as far as yeild to just plant more pole beans and leave out the bush beans?

February 20, 2008	#2
gardengalrn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Kansas, zone 5 Posts: 524	I can't help ya with the okra but your bean selection sounds good. I haven't grown white macasslin so I can't speak to that. Rattlesnake and Fortex are both excellent for fresh flavor. I tend to like the Blue Lake (pole) for canning because they are very round and generally uniform. So your selection will appeal to different people. I don't grow for the market (yet!) but I grow a patch of bush beans each year. They come in earlier than the poles and there are some varieties that are so tasty I have to grow them. Dragon's Tongue is a good one as is a variety of romanos or flat podded types. In my experience you will get more yield off a pole bean but if you want a few weeks earlier, try a small patch of bush. __________________ ~Lori "Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." -Abraham Lincoln

February 21, 2008	#4
shelleybean Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Virginia Beach Posts: 2,648	Somebody here, maybe duajones, had tremendous success with Clemson Spineless last summer. Maybe that person will chime in. I like McCaslan and Fortex. Not crazy about Kentucky Wonder. I grew KW Wax last year and it had too many strings for me. I think if you want to can or freeze a whole bunch of beans at once, bush beans might be the way to go because you can pick so many at once. If not, I think pole beans about always have more flavor than bush beans, but that's just me. __________________ Michele

February 21, 2008	#5
shelleybean Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Virginia Beach Posts: 2,648	BTW, if you decide to go with bush beans, I highly recommend "Bountiful." You can pick for weeks and weeks from just one planting. The pods are just slightly flattened, similar to a Romano type bean, but not quite as wide. These will remain stringless if you keep up with the picking. You can get seeds from SSE or Heirloom Seeds. Maybe Landreth, too. __________________ Michele

February 21, 2008	#7
shelleybean Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Virginia Beach Posts: 2,648	Yeah, Worth is always singing the praises of Louisiana Green Velvet. I'm trying White Velvet this year. I loved having okra in the garden last year. I didn't realize how much I liked it until I grew it. Now I'd never be without. __________________ Michele

February 21, 2008	#6
duajones Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Corpus Christi,Texas Z9 Posts: 1,996	Michele, I did have good success with Clemson Spineless last year, my first time ever growing okra. I had them in a raised bed. Sowed seeds April 3rd and harvested first pod May 28th. 5 plants gave me around a hundred pods each during the season. I had to use a ladder to harvest near the end as they reached 12 ft or taller. Being a newbie, my choice for soil probably wasnt the best but it worked out. I had a mixture of landscapers mix, cotton burr compost, manure and peat. Caused me to have to water every day during the summer. I plan to add some sandy loam to the mix this year in hopes of a little more moisture retention. And I am giving Lousiana Green Velvet a try this year, 8-10 plants instead of 5 as I am told that it wont be as productive as the CS

February 21, 2008	#8
robin303 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Austin, TX Zone 8b Posts: 531	I agree the crimson spineless , kentucky wonder and the blue lake is in my garden year after year. Why mess with a good thing. That okra does reach 12'.

February 21, 2008	#11
gssgarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: N.C. Posts: 1,827	Afew years ago I started getting my peas and beans from Vermont bean seed company and have been happy as far as beans go. My fav and biggest producer is Stallion. Followed by Top Crop, Matador, and Golden Rod for yellow. Tried Harvester last year and it was o.k. Mostly, if not all are used for fresh eating and Mom's bean soup!! The safe bet is Stallion. I usually plant about a 12' row of beans of 2-3 varieties in my 12' bed, and if you pick 'em young, Stallion will keep comin' and comin'. They'll be going in again this year too. www.vermontbean.com Haven't done pole beans yet. Good luck, Greg

February 21, 2008	#12
Ruth_10 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MO z6a near St. Louis Posts: 1,349	I prefer Blue Lake pole over Kentucky Wonder because KW has strings. A cross between the two is called Kentucky Blue. We grew it last summer and it was very tasty. It has more string than BL but less than KW. The beans came in a little earlier for the Kentucky Blue than the Blue Lake. For a bush bean, I've been pleased with Tendergreen (or Tendergreen Improved). I do what Lori does, plant some bush beans for an early crop. I also plant some late in the season for a fall crop. I will usually get at least one picking before frost hits. I grew two types of okra last year. Evertender (OP from Sandhill) gave a good crop of pods. Plant grew to about 20 ft tall. Cajun Delight (hybrid from Territorial) is a bush variety that also is high yielding and tasty and easy to harvest. __________________ --Ruth Some say the glass half-full. Others say the glass is half-empty. To an engineer, it’s twice as big as it needs to be.

February 24, 2008	#13
gardengalrn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Kansas, zone 5 Posts: 524	Robin303, how do you cook them? I've never had okra that I liked but I've only tried it once....while in basic training for the Air Force, LOL. There are a lot of things I like now that I didn't like then so I'm curious how you prepare them other than frying? __________________ ~Lori "Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." -Abraham Lincoln

February 27, 2008	#14
Ruth_10 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MO z6a near St. Louis Posts: 1,349	I'm not Robin, but here's how I like to eat okra. This is simple and quick. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Throw in the okra (pick them small so they're tender), put the lid on, and let the pot come back to a boil. That should only take a couple of minutes. The okra will be cooked tender, but not falling apart. Then drain, salt lightly, and eat with a sliced up fresh tomato. I find the two flavors and textures very complimentary. Also, the acidity of the tomato helps to cut the okra slime. Truly, it does. I often have it for lunch on the weekend in the summer. Many people bread and fry okra, but that is a whole 'nother recipe and load of calories. __________________ --Ruth Some say the glass half-full. Others say the glass is half-empty. To an engineer, it’s twice as big as it needs to be.