Topic: Bean and pea swap

[Digeroo]

I can't read this thread properly anymore due to the width

????

[earlypea]

...
but this finding out of the variety name is getting to be a obsession for me now..I've spent hours on line..found some WONDERFUL bean sites, but not quite found right description or photo for what I've got...so now I've resulted of buying a book from Kew books..'Legumes of the world'.. ::) ;D...I do hope it will
'live' for it's reputation..'bean porn' :o....not that they describe it so..I'm just hoping ;D

You Devil Goodlife!  I want that book so bad  :P :P

lavishly illustrated throughout with over
1,100 photographs, paintings and line drawings,
including 105 line drawings commissioned from
the botanical artist Pat Halliday. World

Sounds like total bean porn to me.........I'll bully people into getting it for me for Christmas, or else no more beans and peas for them...

[goodlife]

Earlypea..I've just received my book..and...it is big to handle..impressive to look at..promises some 'action'...but deliver little...
I never realised how large Legume family is...yes this book is full of pictures..more than writing..but covers so much..trees, bushes, perennials..
Book has 577 pages..which 2 are about (edible) peas as general...and only one page about 'beans' as Phaseolus..only one!..3 pics.. :'(
No varieties....nothing...just a sample pic of each in genera.
So it's all talk no action.. it wasn't nothing like I expected it to be::).. save your Christmas box for something else...unless you fancy a 'telephone dictionary' with photos ::)
Sorry to say, but I was left cold...not even little tinkle on toe.. >:(
Now..does anybody know any books about edible beans and peas...kind of that could be use for identification purposes?

[grannyjanny]

I would complain & hope to get my money back if it was not what it was supposed to be ::).

[1066]

I'd send it back as well! I'm sure you have the standard 28 days to return goods that you don't want

[goodlife]

Hmm...the book is what it says in description...but it is not what I thought it would be like....if  only I could been able to see it before hand...
For what it is ...yes I have to admit it is good one..but it didn't serve my purpose..and it is only a refrence for the thousands and thousands of legumes that exist in world..unfortunately the ones we eat is minute part of it.
But I'm going to keep it...as a reminder on my bookshelf..'do more research before you part with money!!!!!!'..I shan't do the same mistake in a hurry ::)
But search will go on....if I would only be able to put together a book about 'edible legumes of the world'...with as many varieties as possible..each with photo as a bean(seed), plant with flowers, description and history...now that what I want...anybody volunteering?..in few years time I would buy a copy ;)
Oh..this weather is right for the last beans..warm enough for more growth..plenty of moisture..and if the sun just would come out bit more.. ;D

[chriscross1966]

Weather is being kind to us at the moment.... we're getting some sun in the daytime, but the nights haven't been frosty yet and there's plenty of moisture.... this will be fattening up my gigandas and no mistake. I managed to find a few more drying ones over the last couple of days so with a bit of luck they will definitely be in the swap in decent quantity. I will card them in fives not tens though as the plants are massive, so they take up twice the space each of other climbers thought of as big (like say Borlotti)....

[1066]

I'm still waiting for my Gigandes - only had 5 pods so far that have ripened. It's been bucketing down here on and off for days, so we need some SUNSHINE pleeeeaaaaassssse  :)

[chriscross1966]

Problem is, at this time of year, sunny days can well mean frost at night and I don't think a Giganda will take kindly to that.... I'm going to sort out a fleece jacket for my wigwam at the weekend to try and keep it going but at least I'm not in a position where that would be the only way for me to get seed for next year... I've already got some.....

chrisc

[1066]

yes I think fleece might be the go for a few weeks to see if they ripen more easily

[chriscross1966]

Right, I've started the google doc for the spreadsheet. Can I get a few of the more usual suspects hriscto go to google, set up a login against an email address and PM the address, I'll sort out sharing it.

chrisc

[Digeroo]

I thought I was organising the pea and bean swap. 

[earlypea]

I'm not sure whether to fleece my Major Cook's or not  ???  Damp seems to be the problem right now since it's rained for days on end and I think fleece increases the humidity levels, but then if we get frost they'll be done for.

They've got fat pods with fully formed stripy beans but the pods are still full-skinned, not papery yet.

Should I or shouldn't I?  Advice appreciated.

[Digeroo]

Last year none of my major cook ripened on the vine.  I put some of them in the communal shed and the leaves dried out and made the most almightly mess which took ages to clear up.  So I picked them all and dried some on the window sill and some on the radiator.  The radiator ones dried the best so in the end I dried them all on the radiators.  I am keeping a firm eye on the weather forecast.

I did germination tests and they were all fine.  I did several batches just to check and got 100% germination.   Plants this year also grew well.  The pods were still very fleshy when I brought some of them in.  Do not remove from the pods until they are bone dry.  It takes a considerable time to reach this point. 

[earlypea]

Thanks Digeroo

They're actually more advanced than that with most of the leaves gone, but they seem to stay fleshy forever.

I bought some home yesterday in pods to hedge my bets and am trying to dry them out in the conservatory.  I'm thinking I'll leave the rest for the promised sunshine for the next few days and then get them all back here.  They're definitely podded but also padded  ;)

[galina]

Thanks Digeroo

They're actually more advanced than that with most of the leaves gone, but they seem to stay fleshy forever.

I bought some home yesterday in pods to hedge my bets and am trying to dry them out in the conservatory.  I'm thinking I'll leave the rest for the promised sunshine for the next few days and then get them all back here.  They're definitely podded but also padded  ;)

This late in the season take mature pods that are well-filled and leathery and dry them indoors.  If you leave them out and they get too damp, the beans inside start germinating, not what you want.  Sounds like your beans are ready to be taken off.  I would still not dry them on the hot radiator for seed longevity, but a windowsill and frequent turning are the order of the day.  They will not go papery dry outside at this time of year.  Best of luck getting them dry.  As Digeroo said, shell when fully dried and then dry the bean seeds a bit more.

[lottiedolly]

I am frantically trying to dry much of mine at home as when i went over the lottie, so many of the bean pods were sodden and mushy and undryable  :( Hopefully will have something to share

[chriscross1966]

I thought I was organising the pea and bean swap. 

Oops... sorry, I was just messing around with Google Docs anyway so stuck a spreadsheet together.... PM me an email addy and I'll stick you down as editor and drop out... or more likely copy it for the Squash one.... I basically knew what beans I'll have/want, not sure yet of that in any way shape or form for squash yet.....

[goodlife]

OHhhh..are we there yet ::)..surely all beans are dry and ready by now ::)
My last lot of bush beans din't make it...frost got them before me.. >:(...and that was last of the seeds too >:(
But even then, I've got bumper pack ready for swapping for some mouth watering alternatives ;D...CANT WAIT ;D

[galina]

OHhhh..are we there yet ::)..surely all beans are dry and ready by now ::)
My last lot of bush beans din't make it...frost got them before me.. >:(...and that was last of the seeds too >:(
But even then, I've got bumper pack ready for swapping for some mouth watering alternatives ;D...CANT WAIT ;D

Only my early beans are ready, not the late ones ..... if you want to go ahead now I won't include any late ones.  Digeroo, did you say we could include 2009 beans?