Topic: Mixed up seeds.

[Jeannine]

 Don't ask,it is a long story, but suffice to say my cat  tore open several packets of large bean seeds one day when I left them out so I have a big bag of seeds,all look like red kidney beans  all identical,and are all from seed companies. Suttons etc  so I know roughly what they are, Scarlet Emporer and some other tall growing runner beans, I think Enorma but there are also dwarf ones mixed in there too. I have about 5 pounds of them as I had picked up a big bag of assorted bean  seeds packets  at a fair,lots of packets, and left all together on the table. They all look the same. If I plant them do you think I will be able to tell which are tall ones and which are the dwarf ones fairly early on, it would be chaos if not. I am not bothered about mixing them as they grow it is just the height thing.

Anyone want any mixed up beans? I did keep the packets somewhere so could give you a better idea.

Maybe I should just make chilli!

XX Jeannine

[Tee Gee]

I know where you are coming from! and it is difficult to tell.

I find that like birds eggs beans have different markings, similarly slightly different shapes so you could try sorting them by these characteristics first.

Then when the come through the leaves are a bit like fingerprints each variety has a slightly different serration pattern.

So once again you can try and seperate them to this characteristic.

However I must add, it is a bit hit & miss but quite often you get some success.

Sorry I can't be of more help!

[Jeannine]

They are all red kidney beans to look at and I know there are different types in there , if it was my special  bean collection it would be easy due to the markings but thank you. I am hoping wen they grow the pole beans will show themselves as they seem to grow faster than the others ??? XX Jeannine

[raisedbedted]

If you start them off indoors then the ones that grow too quickly and end up curling round each other into a big bundle impossible to seperate are climbing beans.

The ones that lay down for a couple of hours during the middle of the day, drink more and are far more elegant are probably french.

Sorry, I'm not helping much am I?  ;)

[Jeannine]

Yes you are, you made me laugh. Now if was  bean which one would I be. XX Jeannine