Fall beans
 

I have tried planting beans in the fall before but the results were not so good because of the heat and whiteflies, so I am going to try something really different this year. I just started some Maxibel beans in cups inside my greenhouse which is air conditioned. I only want about 20 feet of beans so if I plant one every six inches it will only take around 40. I don't know if this will work but I have had really good luck transplanting things so why not beans. I am hoping to keep them in the greenhouse til late September when it usually starts cooling off a little. If I am able and it is still really hot then I may leave them in even longer. I don't know how well they transplant so I will find out and let you all know.

b54red...I just did the same thing...planted them in 2" Jiffy Pots but thought I would put them in ground that I just prepared as soon as they got a good start. Variety I planted is Romano Pole.
Since we been having some cool weather (mid 80's) thought that it is the right temp so they will ripen in time (54 days). I'll let you know as well. The only thing I am concerned about is the viability of the seed. Just had a few beans from 2 years ago but kept them in a plastic ziplock. Fingers crossed!

I was thinking about jiffy pots for beans. A few weeks ago I planted about 20 feet of Romano bush beans and they're doing well but about ten days ago I planted another 20 feet of Maxibel and as they sprout, the birds are pulling them out. Driving me nuts! I found a bunch of old jiffy pots in the shed when we moved last fall. I was thinking of trying to let them get bigger indoors and then setting them out, I guess when they don't look so appealing to a bird. I'll be interested to hear how it goes for you.

Beans transplant well, at least young ones do. I haven't planted in the fall, but I grow all my beans in 6-packs. This year I started over 20 varieties on May 22 and planted them out on June 5-7 and June 15 -- some were slower. So it took 2-3 weeks for them to reach plant-out size. I shaded the ones in my first garden for the first week and they took off. I didn't bring my row cover/tulle to the second garden and those beans almost didn't make it by the time I got back there 2 days after planting. They're still not producing nearly as much as the ones at the first garden, but they're doing ok. So if it's possible to rig some row cover in the garden, you might try that with some of the beans.

The oldest ones were from a 2007 commercial pack. Several others were trades but were labeled with more recent dates. The only ones I had trouble germinating were some saved beans that were not dry enough when I put them in jars last fall.

I transplanted pole beans successfully this spring (no peat pots) to get a head start and also put some seeds directly in the ground. The transplanted ones started bearing earlier, so it seems the transplanting didn't set them back too much.

I will second (?third) what habitat gardener and Kath have stated. I usually start my beans early in the large cell trays (32 to a tray). Just harden them off along with everything else and once the nights are safe pop them into the soil. By that time the crows and ravens are not quite as interested in them either, they prefer seedlings I think.

[QUOTE=salix;299944]I will second (?third) what habitat gardener and Kath have stated. I usually start my beans early in the large cell trays (32 to a tray). Just harden them off along with everything else and once the nights are safe pop them into the soil. By that time the crows and ravens are not quite as interested in them either, they prefer seedlings I think.[/QUOTE]

Think they like the newly sprouted seeds- they go after sweet peas and sweet corn sprouts sometimes just before/after they pop out of the soil.:evil:

Hey.....

Who woudn't like fresh bean sprouts? :yes:

Yes, that's why I started planting in 6-packs. The birds especially liked purple pole bean seeds -- they watched me plant and if they didn't get all the seeds, they got all the sprouts and left me none.

I haven't had so much trouble with things eating the seeds as getting a very uneven stand and having to waste so many seed only to have them decimated by the insects that are still around in large numbers in early fall. I am hoping I can keep them safe in the greenhouse till the weather starts cooling down and the bugs let up a bit.

I was shocked today when I went in the greenhouse and saw the soil starting to bump up already in some of the cups. I may have some come up in the next day or two. That is really fast compared to outside in the garden where many seed seem to rot before coming up. If I get a good stand this way then I will definitely try to plant them this way in the spring and maybe avoid those late frosts that are so devastating to beans.

Bean Plantings
 

[QUOTE=b54red;300106]I haven't had so much trouble with things eating the seeds as getting a very uneven stand and having to waste so many seed only to have them decimated by the insects that are still around in large numbers in early fall. I am hoping I can keep them safe in the greenhouse till the weather starts cooling down and the bugs let up a bit.

I was shocked today when I went in the greenhouse and saw the soil starting to bump up already in some of the cups. I may have some come up in the next day or two. That is really fast compared to outside in the garden where many seed seem to rot before coming up. If I get a good stand this way then I will definitely try to plant them this way in the spring and maybe avoid those late frosts that are so devastating to beans.[/QUOTE]

Well, my little experiment of planting beans in cell packs for fall planting failed. I had planted 24 cells w/ 2beans per pack. I got one sprout. Seems like they rotted in the cells. Didn't use seedling mix just M-gro. I guess I got over excited about watering them. That with the humid heat was the killer. :(

I used just plain MG potting soil for my seed but used Solo cups to plant in because I am expecting to keep them in the greenhouse for a fairly long time. I have a small air conditioner in my greenhouse which keeps the temps and humidity down. I also may have some that rotted in the cups because while I have some standing 6 inches tall and others that haven't even shown any sign of sprouting.

Over watering plus heat can certainly be reasons for lack of germination. I lost most of a tray of beans indoor because I over watered them! They just drowned and fermented in the sun.

Overall, I have had great success starting beans indoors. I regularily start beans indoors..mainly those of which I have only a few seeds of...or that are not very heat tolerant like some half runners (runner Cannellini beans for example) and need a head start before the heat hits.

I usually direct sow my fall beans...but then I don't have the bird trying to steel my beans. They usually settle for raiding my corn seeds in the Spring....talk about a pain. There are two fields that I literally have to transplant corn in as the crows will eat almost ever seed that I sow....those fields both are close the forest line and I suspect the crows just hang out there and wait until I am doing planting..and then emerge for the raid.

What are everyone's favorite Fall beans..any that seem to really thrive in the Fall? I dont mean to hijack this thread...but since we are talking about Fall beans, I thought that i would ask. Mods feel free to tell me to start a new thread ;)

Previously I have just done succession plantings of pole beans in Spring and early summer...the latest planting often lasting through September and even into early October. This is the first year that I have planted beans in late August. I only did a small planting of Aunt Rhody bush beans for my sister since I saved too many for seed from the Spring plantings and she did not get enough for eating!

Next year I might do a larger planting..and of different varieties.

blackthumbmary-

I put in a row of Tendergreen bush beans at the end of July both because I wanted to use up the seed and as "insurance" beans for the fall just in case the pole beans I'm trialing decide to stop producing. The Tendergreen plants are flowering and doing really well and the pole beans are still giving us about a gallon/day so we could be in serious trouble soon.:lol:

Provider does well no matter when I plant it but I've used up all kinds of bush bean seeds for the fall and all of them seem to have done as well as they did in the spring.

kath

A/C
 

[QUOTE=b54red;300799]...." I have a small air conditioner in my greenhouse which keeps the temps and humidity down. I also may have some that rotted in the cups because while I have some standing 6 inches tall and others that haven't even shown any sign of sprouting."[/QUOTE]

And I thought I was the only one who had an A/C in my shed. I also catch the water from condensing and use it to water some of my nearby plants but have to use it quick because of the mosquitoes./puke