Red Ripper Cowpea and Heirloom Lima Bean

[Hillhunter4]

I received RED Ripper seed from an elderly man in our community. He had grew them his entire life. He told me who he had received them from but regrettably, I did not record that information before he passed. I also have heirloom lima been seed received from a coworker. He stated that they have been in his family for 100 years. When I received the seeds they were 2 distinct varieties mixed. One is solid white and when cooked turns green. The other is off white with purple eye and when cooked turns grey. I have grown the mixed and separated. peas and limas are rampant runners and produce until frost. Planted July 4th and pictures taken July 8th.

[PhilaGardener]

Excellent to keep these growing in the community! Looking forward to updates on their progress!

[Worth1]

Looks great and so does the wonderful bamboo too.

[Hillhunter4]

I don’t think the red ripper is a unique strain, but I keep them going because I know these seed originated from several generations in this area. The Lima’s I have no idea. I have not been able to identify the varieties.
I am blessed to have a 2 acre bamboo thicker behind my parents house.

[Whwoz]

Looking good and love that bamboo set up. don't know that I would want that thicket though

[GoDawgs]

I've been growing Red Ripper for four years now and love them. Those big pods are easy to shell and produce a lot. And I love that trellis too! Red Rippers sure are the rambunctious sort. I just pulled out the corn stalks today and Rippers will go in there next week.

Are those limas climbers? I just started growing Alabama Blackeye Butterbean (a climber) last spring and they pretty much match your description of "The other is off white with purple eye and when cooked turns grey".

[Hillhunter4]

Godawgs the Lima’s are climbers. When I reaserched I saw reference of Alabama Blackeye Butterbean. I agree they closely match description, so that maybe what they are. Maybe we can compare

[Tracydr]

I just love your trellis. Did you do anything to keep the bamboo from rooting in the ground? How did you get it in the ground? Did you dig a hole or pound it in? Sharpen the ends first? I have heard going in narrow side first helps,too. I have a bunch that I cut recently and I’m thinking about doing some trellises just like this.
We have a small bamboo thicket. It blocks road noise and gives us privacy,I think it also gives the garden some protection from pesticides as the other side of the road is a huge crop field that gets planted in a rotation of cotton,peanuts,soybeans and corn.
I love the bamboo. It’s beautiful and exotic,very fun to explore and harvest for projects,I feel like a Special Forces woman in my camouflage clothes with my machete and folding saw when I go out to cut it. I also harvest sprouts to eat sometimes,delicious.
If it spreads too far my husband just mows it down with the disc mower.
I’m actually considering planting another patch of it in another spot where I need privacy and using either black bamboo or some other large type used for building things. I do believe bamboo may be the future of the world. What other plant is delicious, and can be made into fiber,houses,boats,other construction, store carbon ,beautify a garden, provide habitat and food for wildlife and be quickly renewed?

[PhilaGardener]

Originally Posted by Tracydr

food for wildlife

You've got pandas?

[Hillhunter4]

Tracydr I have never had bamboo root when used in garden. I cut and put in Bamboo same day without any problems. For the upright post I dig holes with posthole digger approximately 18” and tamp post in really good. I have a hard pan about 10” deep so driving I is not an option. They have to be really secure because when beans and peas cover trellis it is like a big wind sail. This is the easiest cleanup I have found. At end of season cut strings at top and all vines fall to ground. Take up and compost or burn. Frame can be used for a few years. For tomato sticks I drive a small pipe into the ground to make a hole and the stick bamboo in and press soil around stake with foot.

[Tracydr]

Originally Posted by PhilaGardener

You've got pandas?

I wish,those cubs are darling.
Do goats count as wildlife? They love the bamboo leaves. They help me out by stripping the branches of leaves before I take the branches off.

[Tracydr]

Originally Posted by Hillhunter4

Tracydr I have never had bamboo root when used in garden. I cut and put in Bamboo same day without any problems. For the upright post I dig holes with posthole digger approximately 18” and tamp post in really good. I have a hard pan about 10” deep so driving I is not an option. They have to be really secure because when beans and peas cover trellis it is like a big wind sail. This is the easiest cleanup I have found. At end of season cut strings at top and all vines fall to ground. Take up and compost or burn. Frame can be used for a few years. For tomato sticks I drive a small pipe into the ground to make a hole and the stick bamboo in and press soil around stake with foot.

Good to know. I haven’t issue either,I’ve heard warnings about it.
I was shocked that mine held up to Hurricane Matthew. I wasn’t using them last year during Florence but that could have been a different story,much stronger winds in line with my garden.
This winter I hope to cut and put together some more bamboo structures,I just love the way they look in my garden. Trellises,cages,etc.
I also plan to make a bunch of bee houses this winter, watched a video the other day about how to make them ,super easy with small amounts of bamboo.
Now I’m going to go on eBay and find a couple of panda bear cubs to buy from China.

[Hillhunter4]

Cows love the leaves also. I would not plant bamboo on my property, but since my parents have a huge patch that established unintentionally we make good use of them. I told my wife after we built the last trellis that it was going to look silly if the peas and beans only got knee high. Good luck with the Panda Cubs. There may be some laws involved there.

[GoDawgs]

I really like that trellis! There are lots of wild bamboo thickets around here but they don't grow as big around as what you have for the uprights. Maybe I could use t-posts with an extension pole tied to them for use with the butterbeans. This is how I rigged it this year for them:



That's two lengths of field fence mounted one on top of the other. I'd have to think about which would be easier to put up. Those butterbean vines get really heavy.



Thinking out loud... I'm going to plant four 18' rows of Rippers. As a test, one row could be supported somewhat like the butterbeans, using different fencing I use for peas. Another row could be a modified, shorter version of what you have but using t-posts for the uprights and some 1x1's I have for the horizontals. Or maybe cut some of the local bamboo for the horizontals. Gotta think more on this.

[Hillhunter4]

The horizontal pieces are 14’ and the vertical are 10’. They are substantial and I know some varieties doesn’t get this big. This has Proven to be the best setup for strength and ease of clean up. Cut all the twine and the vines fall down, or cut the horizontal pieces loose and slide out the end. Another good method is plant 2 rows about two ft apart. Put down a post on each end and centered between rows and stretch string between post. stick base of bamboo next to plants and lean against string. Attach poles at top.