Yes, I've been saving La Vigneronne for several years, and I generally try to save seeds of beans that I like if I don't have any seeds left. Some years I had only 3 seeds to replant! I do have some Helda seed left, so I've been eating them instead of letting them go to seed. I have nearly a pound of Blue Coco dry beans, so I've been eating those as snap beans, too. But I let several Purple Peacock go to seed -- actually, they were too high to pick. I found one dry pod of Christmas Lima, even though the rest of the beans don't look ready yet.
Much of my bean foliage is turning yellow. But this week I noticed Blue Coco, La Vigneronne, Helda Romano, Purple Peacock, Waterloo County Mennonite, and possibly the 2 other purples have been growing new foliage from the base, and I've been picking more beans. So far it's only 5-10 at a time per variety, rather than 20-40. Most years I don't pull the plants until the plants are completely done, either with dried up vines or with the first frost at the end of November. These varieties seem particularly suited for my climate, with nights in the 50s (F) and days in the 70s all summer long. Of the varieties that prefer warmer climates, Rattlesnake has not bounced back, and Red Noodle is still not producing, though Chinese Long is doing well.
A couple people at the community garden planted a second crop of pole beans and they're already picking. One person planted Emerite, which looks like it's very productive, and the other one has a purple bean she got from another gardener who got it from Germany. I thought that pole beans only had to be planted once! Next year I'll plan to start the first crop April 1 and a second crop July 1, all in 6-packs in a cold frame.
I used glass jars with metal lids to store saved bean seed last year, but some of it was not dry enough, particularly the larger beans, which also had insect holes by spring. Now I know to check dryness by pounding with a hammer.
|