Insuk's Wang Kong

[peebee]

Originally Posted by barefootgardener

peebee, I hope to let a few mature in the pods and let dry so I can save some seeds to plant next season, and to share!

Yes, please do so! I grow lots of flowers for hummies and they (and I) would love these. I have never grown beans with red flowers before, only white like Kentucky, Blue Lake , etc. Gorgeous!

[PhilaGardener]

IWK is a great variety - pretty, productive and tasty too - glad you found it, Ginny. It does shut down setting pods in the midAtlantic when the summer heat gets extreme, but bounced right back for me when the temps moderated after August. Young pods are great stir fried or steamed; I haven't tried the dried beans yet but they come in volume!

[jwr6404]

ginny
PM me your address and I'll send you some seeds for the IWK. There will be no charge for the beans or postage.
Jim

[barefootgardener]

Originally Posted by jwr6404

ginny
PM me your address and I'll send you some seeds for the IWK. There will be no charge for the beans or postage.
Jim

Thank you for the kind offer Jim! If I don't have any luck trying to save some IWK seeds from my grow out this season, I will take you up on your offer later this season if that is alright? Maybe I will have something to offer you in return then. (Even though I know you don't expect it.)

Ginny

[barefootgardener]

Originally Posted by PhilaGardener

IWK is a great variety - pretty, productive and tasty too - glad you found it, Ginny. It does shut down setting pods in the midAtlantic when the summer heat gets extreme, but bounced right back for me when the temps moderated after August. Young pods are great stir fried or steamed; I haven't tried the dried beans yet but they come in volume!

We are having a heat wave right now, but the beans keep on producing. So far, at least! I just went out and picked a few young pods. I plan on steaming them along with some new, freshly dug potatoes, for dinner tonight. I did taste one fresh off the vine, and the young pod has a nice mild, sweet taste to it. I like the flavor. Thank you

Ginny

[barefootgardener]

Originally Posted by jwr6404

ginny
PM me your address and I'll send you some seeds for the IWK. There will be no charge for the beans or postage.
Jim

And Happy Birthday!! Have a beautiful, amazing day Jim!!

Ginny

[luigiwu]

Jim, how does one save seeds/beans from Insuk's Wang Kong? Also how do I know when to pick to eat?

[barefootgardener]

Originally Posted by luigiwu

Jim, how does one save seeds/beans from Insuk's Wang Kong? Also how do I know when to pick to eat?

I am not Jim, but to save seeds for beans you need to let some of the pods/beans mature and dry on the vine. Then once the pod is dry, usually at the end of the growing season, it should generally be a light brown in color, remove them from the vine and open the dried pod up to remove the beans. Remove any pieces of pod and chaff, and store the dried beans in a clean, dry jar that is labeled or an envelope. Store in a cool dry place until your ready to plant for next season.

The beans are best picked before the pods fill out and buldge, usually around 4 inches long. They taste pretty good raw even at three inches and pods are still flat. I snack on a few when i am out in the garden.

Ginny

[Tracydr]

Wondering if it's too late to try a fall planting in NC?

[barefootgardener]

Originally Posted by Tracydr

Wondering if it's too late to try a fall planting in NC?

Tracy, IWK germinates rather quickly. I started my seeds four weeks before transplanting outside in my garden the first week of June. They grow rather quickly and are more tolerant of heat than most runner beans. I started getting the flowers in early July! Then set the first pods shortly after. They don't like to set pods in the heat, but I bet in your zone, depending on your first frost, you would have good luck getting flowers and pods this season before your frost. I am not sure how long the pods take to mature and dry on vine if you are looking for the seed. I am letting a few pods mature right now.. I say go for it!! Give it a shot.

I read that in warmer zones you can even overwinter the root's of IWK, and it will come back in the spring. Jim might be able to follow up on this if he reads your post and question..

Ginny

[Labradors2]

Just a comment about Runner Beans - and I assume that I am correct and that they ARE runners???? They certainly resemble them, both in flower colour and pink/purple speckled bean.

We used to eat Runner Beans in England a lot when I was a kid. I don't think we grew them, so we probably bought them and they were 8-10" long and always had strings. We would simply top and tail them and remove the strings, then my mother would slice them finely on the diagonal and cook them in a little water - delish!

We could even buy gadgets that would slice the beans and remove the strings at the same time!

I hate to think of people wasting beans that are perfectly good to eat, just because they have strings.

Linda

[barefootgardener]

Originally Posted by Labradors2

Just a comment about Runner Beans - and I assume that I am correct and that they ARE runners???? They certainly resemble them, both in flower colour and pink/purple speckled bean.

We used to eat Runner Beans in England a lot when I was a kid. I don't think we grew them, so we probably bought them and they were 8-10" long and always had strings. We would simply top and tail them and remove the strings, then my mother would slice them finely on the diagonal and cook them in a little water - delish!

We could even buy gadgets that would slice the beans and remove the strings at the same time!

I hate to think of people wasting beans that are perfectly good to eat, just because they have strings.

Yes

Linda

Yes, Linda, you are correct. They are runner beans. As a young child, momma and us kids would pick string beans, and sit outside on a blanket and take the ends off and the strings would pull down the opposite end. Then we just snapped them in pieces with our hands..No gadgets for us and no wasting beans.. The gadget does sound fascinating! I did not know they made them for beans!!

[roper2008]

I would grow them just for the flowers. I grow flowers for butterflies and hummers. I
think SSE has runner beans.

[luigiwu]

I only have a couple of these so not enough to make a meal!

[Labradors2]

A small meal for one!

The gadget was small, and had blades in it. You would push the bean down through the opening and it would come out in skinny slices. At least I think that's how it worked. As a kid, I wasn't allowed to use it!

Linda