Beans

[ina]

[ina]

[Mrs Ava]

Wowzers Ina, that there is a big basket o' beans!  Are they your special dutchy beans.....what were they called....raakar or something?  I have a bunch of them romping up a cane and they are in flower, but the beans are still tiny.  Couple of weeks and I will be picking.  Already nearly finished the dwarf purple and dwarf white french beans.  Runners are just kicking in now - picked lot number 2 today.

[ina]

Hi EJ, yes, that was a lot of beans. Got them all packaged in in the freezer now. Actually EmmaJane, Rakkers are not really considered special beans here, they are just kind of old fashioned, fleshy beans that are also good when left on the plant too long and get really big, they taste different then, kind of sweet. Just your basic green bean.
My runners are starting too, another week I guess.

[tim]

Thanks, Ina - with your prompt, I checked ours. Why can I never get mine 12-15" dead straight, like the market?

The 'French', of course, are Rakker. Get 'em young, I always say! = Tim

[ina]

So, yours have started too Tim. You'll find the Rakkers to be heavy croppers, at least ours always are and very reliable.
Straight runners? How DO they do it? Anything to do with the amount of light here?  Just a guess. Or other, controled conditions? Don't the ones from the market usually come from other countries? I wonder.

[ruud]

Ina,tim,what do you think about throwing the bend ones away.They do it with carrots so why not with beans.Only the perfect ones.

[GardnerJ]

Yeeeaaahhhhhh! I love your pictures!!! Keep 'em comin'
Jemma x  :-*

[tim]

Great flavour & consistency (not squeaky), the Rakker, Ina - even the g'children ate them today. Thanks again. = Tim

[Garden Manager]

Ina,tim,what do you think about throwing the bend ones away.They do it with carrots so why not with beans.Only the perfect ones.

I wouldnt !

Unless I was growing them for a show exibit/competition, I'll have them every which way as long as they werent old and tough!

Dont grow french types though, only Runners (Mmm!) which are now just starting to form the crop.

Tried dwarf french/bush beans a couple of years ago. Didnt have much sucess so didnt try again. When you get runners that do as well as ours do who needs anything else!  ;D

[Mrs Ava]

I have to disagree with you Richard.  I have always grown runners as I love them, but this year I have also grown a similar amount of french, both dwarf and big ones, and the crop is out of this world!  I have been picking beans for at least 3 weeks already, and they are amass of flowers and still smothered.  No chance of stingy ones, even when they are big, some are squeeky, some are fleshy, some are bitter, some are sweet, and none of the plants were bothered by blackfly, unlike my runners.  Plus, I find the frenchies slightly more versatile as they make a great cripsy salad and are glorious blanched, battered and deep fried!  YUMSKY!

Next year I shall be doing less runners and more frenchies.  ;D

[Doris_Pinks]

I prefer a frenchie meself EJ :o And now grow more of these than the runners! We love the yellow ones.