Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: Big Gee on September 16, 2013, 01:14:54
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Since I posted on the original thread regarding the purple podded runner beans that I've bred, I've had loads of requests for the beans - so that others can try them.
Some PMd me others got in touch via my web site at http://aeronvale-allotments.org.uk I'm very humbled, but it's becoming a bit of a task keeping up with names & addresses! I don't want to miss anyone out, especially as my seed store is not particularly great. As I've said previously it's a "first come first served" arrangement.
So I got to thinking and decided to construct a basic 'order page' so that all enquiries can be collected together in one place.
Can all those with an interest therefore go to this page by clicking on the link below please:
http://aeronvale-allotments.org.uk/APS-order
Just place your order & I'll take it from there. I'll let you know how much the postage is after I've sent them out to you later on - probably some time in October, after I've collected & shelled them. The beans themselves are free to good homes! The maximum I can send out to any individual is 24 (enough for 2 x 12' rows). I may have to cut that down if stocks dwindle too fast.
Many thanks for your interest everyone!
G.
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You might have a problem with postage, the Post Office are getting very iffy about lumpy packets and have started charging for them as packets so it cost a large amount.
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You might have a problem with postage, the Post Office are getting very iffy about lumpy packets and have started charging for them as packets so it cost a large amount.
So there's nothing for it but camouflage!
Is that a case of 'Jiffy' bags not being sent as letter post? It might all change soon anyway - the Royal Mail is on the move towards privatisation at the moment & at the same time the workforce is threatening strikes. Perhaps it's a bad time to start shifting runner beans in packeages around the place!!!
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Put them between two sheets of cardboard in a strong envelope. I just had a load of broad bean varieties sent to me that way.
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Put them between two sheets of cardboard in a strong envelope. I just had a load of broad bean varieties sent to me that way.
Excellent idea - I'll definately take that little tip on board!
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Just an update for those who've been in touch with me requesting some free bean seeds.
The request page (http://aeronvale-allotments.org.uk/aeronpurplestar (http://aeronvale-allotments.org.uk/aeronpurplestar)) for the beans has worked a treat. All the orders I've received are now neatly filed automatically on my computer from the on-line form.
To date I've received 42 requests for 762 beans (up till today). They're still trickling in & the good news is I've got enough beans harvested to cover the requests (so far).
I'll be starting to send them out in the next couple of weeks.
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There you go Kev Another welsh Man with a very giving heart. Its only in Rugby that we don't like to give anything :toothy10:away
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There you go Kev Another welsh Man with a very giving heart. Its only in Rugby that we don't like to give anything :toothy10:away
(http://gardenerschat-shed.net/pics/smily/LOL.gif)
(http://i3.walesonline.co.uk/incoming/article1962821.ece/BINARY/ray-gravell-705896350.jpg) (http://www.spacecatering.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/2-Llanelli-Scarlets.jpg)
Sorry - I know it's a gardening forum but I couldn't resist after what 'rugbypost' just posted! He'll know the significance of the photos!
1st LOVE - Rugby
2nd LOVE Allotment Gardening (& some say I'm obsessive about gardening!)
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You're further along than I am then. My runners are still green and growing, and I haven't touched the seeds.
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You're further along than I am then. My runners are still green and growing, and I haven't touched the seeds.
My guess is it's a tad milder here on the west Wales coast than inland around Birmingham, (we seldom get a lot of frost, but they do a few miles inland). So they got started a bit earlier than yours perhaps? Also the pods I'm harvesting are from the Aeron Purple Star, they have been deliberately kept for seed harvesting, so they haven't been picked throughout the season. Picking beans for eating prolongs their cropping season.
Having said that, I've also got some Armstrong runners growing well away from the APS & they're still cropping. Some of the APS pods are not mature but the majority have reached the papery pod stage so are ready for shelling.
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Ray could light up Stradey Park his contagious smile, banter, and a wicked sense of humour,He did a interview Llanelli were playing this team which I will not name well they got to half time ray gets the mike and says to him my you were a good rugby player ,but not a great player . And his famous quote" You,ve got to get the first tackle in early, evan if its Late. Great pictures made me smile :happy7:
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Ray could light up Stradey Park his contagious smile, banter, and a wicked sense of humour,He did a interview Llanelli were playing this team which I will not name well they got to half time ray gets the mike and says to him my you were a good rugby player ,but not a great player . And his famous quote" You,ve got to get the first tackle in early, evan if its Late. Great pictures made me smile :happy7:
I guessed that would tick the boxes for you!
I miss Ray to this day - I sometimes think about him when I'm on my own - often on the lottie. I even have a giggle to myself sometimes when I think back to the things he used to say - often not meaning to sound funny but his innocent way of seeing and saying things would make a pig laugh! They broke the mould when he went.
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I've put in a request today, very impressed with the site Big Gee!
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I've put in a request today, very impressed with the site Big Gee!
Well thank you pumkinlover. If just one gardener gets something out of it and appreciates what's gone into it, then all the effort is worthwhile!
I'll be responding to your bean seed request after posting this reply.
(http://gardenerschat-shed.net/pics/smily/thumbs-up+shades(s).jpg)
G.
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Big Gee. Had a look at your site also. Very impressive. Will delve further when I get home. At work now and if boss catches me I'm up for extra work. :BangHead: Catch you later boyo when I've had a good shuffty. :icon_cheers:
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Big Gee. Had a look at your site also. Very impressive. Will delve further when I get home. At work now and if boss catches me I'm up for extra work. :BangHead: Catch you later boyo when I've had a good shuffty. :icon_cheers:
(http://gardenerschat-shed.net/pics/smily/LOL.gif)
Croeso!
Wouldn't want to be responsible for adding to your workload - head down till you get home, then a nice mug of tea, slippers on and an hour on my site!
(http://gardenerschat-shed.net/pics/smily/happy_tea-time.png)
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You probably did start yours earlier than me. I left everything as late as I dared thanks to the cold spring, which was probably colder here than where you are. I'm just thankful for the mild weather now to extend the season!
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Gosh, you really are going to be busy,I see you on other sites too offering the seeds, there will be a lot of purple runners growing all around next year thanks to you. That is a lot of packing and posting, good luck!!
XX Jeannine
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Gosh, you really are going to be busy,I see you on other sites too offering the seeds, there will be a lot of purple runners growing all around next year thanks to you. That is a lot of packing and posting, good luck!!
XX Jeannine
"Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days".
I have the benefit of my right arm - "Her Indoors" when it comes to packing & posting! I breed & grow 'em she ships 'em!
The joy in all of this is to bring pleasure to others freely & the thought that my little purple babies are muliplying out there and in so doing waving the flag on my efforts. What more can you ask for in life?
(http://gardenerschat-shed.net/pics/smily/grin1.gif)
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Lovely attitude. Lovely offer..
Thanks for your kindness.
Diolch yn fawr.
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That is lovely and exactly how I feel,,,, see the bottom comment on my posts. Well done to the missus too.XX Jeannine
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Lovely attitude. Lovely offer..
Thanks for your kindness.
Diolch yn fawr.
Croeso Nigel - fy mhleser i yn llwyr!
Thank you for your kind words - I believe there is more pleasure in giving than there is in receiving. It's the little gestures of kindness & generosity in our day to day activities that fills in the colours when it comes to the tapestry of our lives. We need a lot more of it in this horrible environment of greed, selfishness & exploitation that we see in our modern 'developed' but 'inhumane' & 'insane' world. There is something inherently satisfying about growing and giving to others freely - or just for the cost of production & distribution, without counting what effort and cost it is to us as individuals.
If the world was full of gardeners with that attitude no one would go to bed hungry at night. We would also be a happier bunch the world over.
You can't put a price tag on the value of basic happiness.
Check out this link to an You Tube video by Monty Don about the Organoponicos revolution in Cuba.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRz34Dee7XY (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRz34Dee7XY)
It's an universe away from the mindset of the Monsantos, Tescos & other global companies and supermarkets that rule our dirty food production for big bucks! All they show us is the way to be selfish, uncaring and unsharing!
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That is lovely and exactly how I feel,,,, see the bottom comment on my posts. Well done to the missus too.XX Jeannine
Thank you Jeannine - one little word of gratitude from an appreciative soul is worth a thousand bank notes!
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Just out of interest - what support do you use for your runner beans?
The traditional ones are the good 'ol ridge (or 'A' frame) or the wigwam. Another two that might be of interest to you are the Munty's frame & the 'V' frame.
My favourite, and the one that I find to be most successful & practical for runner beans is the 'V' frame. Here's a photo of my own design (diagram & actual frame used this year for my Aeron Purple Star). You're welcome to copy it for your own use next season. Give it a go. It's a bit more work but pays dividends. More light, the beans are more accessible as they mostly hang on the outside of the frame & it allows bags of light & water into the middle of your bean row.
(http://aeronvale-allotments.org.uk/pics/RunnerBean_V_frame_diag.jpg)
And here is a photo of an actual one on my plot early this spring:
(http://gardenerschat-shed.net/pics/05-13_runners_1st_batch.jpg)
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I would not post a picture of my attempt on here- especially not now.
Bean frame envy- a most undesirable personality trait :tongue3:
(That looks great Big Gee!)
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I would not post a picture of my attempt on here- especially not now.
Bean frame envy- a most undesirable personality trait :tongue3:
(That looks great Big Gee!)
(http://gardenerschat-shed.net/pics/smily/LOL.gif)
THANK YOU 'pumpkinlover'!! (I'll take your personality trait as a BIG vompliment)
You can actually download a full sized (PDF) diagram of my 'V' frame by clicking on this URL:
http://aeronvale-allotments.org.uk/APS-order/RunnerBean_V_Frame_diag.pdf (http://aeronvale-allotments.org.uk/APS-order/RunnerBean_V_Frame_diag.pdf)
Get your carpentry tools out in time for for the spring!! :glasses9:
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Wigwams; they're a convenient way of growing several varieties, and maintaining some control over what's picked.
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Wigwams; they're a convenient way of growing several varieties, and maintaining some control over what's picked.
Wigwams are fine, but they have their limitations - more so even than conventional 'A' shaped ridge frames. They both have a few undesirable characteristics that hamper the growth of bean plants.
Beans need copious amounts of water & sunlight - they suffer badly on dry free draining soil, hence the reason prior preperation of a bed is required where beans are to be grown, material is added to a trench where the beans are to be grown to absorb & maintain a high moisture level at the roots of the beans whilst they are growing.
Ridge frames converge at the top - like the 'A' frame of a roof. When the plants climb to the ridge sunlight is blocked and water gets shed off the support in much the same way as a roof on a house sheds water. The end result is that the centre of your runner bean row/ bed gets robbed of rain water. In addition to that there is congestion at the ridge that hampers growth and really hampers the harvesting of the beans. The pods on the inside of this type of frame are deprived of light and access is restricted for pollinating insects. As the ridge frame is designed to allow bean vines to grow towards the ridge, most of the bean pods hang on the inside of the structure. Exactly the same applies to wigwam supports. This is the exact opposite of what is desirable.
A south facing Munty's frame (the one shown below was posted by Ace on the A4A forum back in April 2011) eliminates the problems I've highlighted above :
(http://chat.allotment.org.uk/gallery/5203_31_05_09_9_48_18.jpeg)
However the 'V' frame design that I've posted above earlier is, in my opinion, even better than the Munty design. It takes less room, is easier to erect and like the Munty frame it allows light and more water to penetrate the runner bean row. In fact it allows more water to fall directly into the middle of the bean row, as the foliage funnels water to the middle. Also, the beans hang outside the frame - rather than inside, like they do with ridge frames & wigwams.
In order I would say from experience:
- The 'V' is the best design.
- Second to it is a Munty's frame.
- Then a traditional 'A' frame ridge structure.
- The least desirable and efficient is the wigwam (but they do look nice & neat!).
I'm open to differences of opinion!
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I have a flat very tall conduit frame that I have thin ropes attached to which works perfectly fine, I can reach it from both sides and the last beans at the top I leave to dry anyway so if there is any I can't reach they get left till the plants come down and go in my stash of dry bean for cooking.
I also have a rose arbour that I use for just my Gignades.
If it ain't broke I don't fix it.
XX Jeannine
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I have a flat very tall conduit frame that I have thin ropes attached to which works perfectly fine, I can reach it from both sides and the last beans at the top I leave to dry anyway so if there is any I can't reach they get left till the plants come down and go in my stash of dry bean for cooking.
I also have a rose arbour that I use for just my Gignades.
If it ain't broke I don't fix it.
XX Jeannine
Whatever 'floats your boat' I say Jeannine!
It isn't an exact science anyway & no one has ever set any rules down for the perfect frame.
(http://gardenerschat-shed.net/pics/smily/wink.gif)
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I'm just relieved when it stays up all summer and only collapses when I finish harvesting!
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I'm just relieved when it stays up all summer and only collapses when I finish harvesting!
Yep - been there, done that & got the T shirt - when it collapses as your back's turned whilst you've gone on holiday for one measly week in the middle of summer just as the local hurricane hits the west Wales coast from the Atlantic!! :BangHead:
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Wigwams are fine, but they have their limitations - more so even than conventional 'A' shaped ridge frames. They both have a few undesirable characteristics that hamper the growth of bean plants.
Beans need copious amounts of water & sunlight - they suffer badly on dry free draining soil, hence the reason prior preperation of a bed is required where beans are to be grown, material is added to a trench where the beans are to be grown to absorb & maintain a high moisture level at the roots of the beans whilst they are growing.
Ridge frames converge at the top - like the 'A' frame of a roof. When the plants climb to the ridge sunlight is blocked and water gets shed off the support in much the same way as a roof on a house sheds water. The end result is that the centre of your runner bean row/ bed gets robbed of rain water. In addition to that there is congestion at the ridge that hampers growth and really hampers the harvesting of the beans. The pods on the inside of this type of frame are deprived of light and access is restricted for pollinating insects. As the ridge frame is designed to allow bean vines to grow towards the ridge, most of the bean pods hang on the inside of the structure. Exactly the same applies to wigwam supports. This is the exact opposite of what is desirable.
I agree about the congestion, though it's not a great problem. I've never noticed dry patches of soil undernteath wigwams; I think rain must percolate though without problems. Everything seems to get pollinated at about the same rate, and ripen happily, and the Victorians used to make sure there was space to get into the middle of a wigwam for picking. Growing them all on a single frame would be more of a problem for me, as I want to know which of several varieties I'm picking.
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Just got the beans, thanks. They look just like Blackpod, but that's not stringless, so yours will be an improvement.
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Just got the beans, thanks. They look just like Blackpod, but that's not stringless, so yours will be an improvement.
Thank you Robert - I'm glad they arrived safely. I hope you'll be happy with them when you're hiring a mechanical "Cherry Picker" to harvest them next year!!! :glasses9:
I'll be putting a board up in The Gardeners Chat-Shed Forum (http://gardenerschat-shed.net/forum (http://gardenerschat-shed.net/forum)) later for everyone that grows them to post comments on their experoence.
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My beans have arrived, and also your payment details, which I will attend to tomorrow. Thank you very much!
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My beans have arrived, and also your payment details, which I will attend to tomorrow. Thank you very much!
:icon_cheers:
I hope you have a bumper crop. Be sure to store them in a dark cool place over the winter!
As I said to Robert (above) 'll be putting a board up in The Gardeners Chat-Shed Forum (http://gardenerschat-shed.net/forum (http://gardenerschat-shed.net/forum)) later for everyone that grows them to post comments on their experoence. In fact the board is now up.
All the best,
G.
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Thankyou mine have arrived :toothy10:
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Thankyou mine have arrived :toothy10:
(http://gardenerschat-shed.net/pics/smily/thumbs_up_smiley-1(S).jpg)