Gigante/giganda beans.... where to buy?

[chriscross1966]

Hi Folks,
I've done a net search and drawn a blank, does anyone know where I can get seeds for the giant greek/eastern med beans that seem to go by the name gigante or giganda depending on where you are. THey look like a massive (ie about x4 size) butter beans. As I've found this year the fresh from the pod borlotti beans taste so good compared to either dried and soaked or canned that I'd like to do some others. As I'm not a fan of grubbing around on my hands and knees I'd prefer climbers to dwarfs....
I'm also planning on doing kidney beans (the yin-yang variety and the red ones), butter beans, borlottis again, and black-eye beans, and maybe some pintos if I can work out how to grow them from the supermarket dried beans (like any other half-hardy bean I'm guessing)

chrisc

[chriscross1966]

[.]

Not cheap and with no guarantee of germination

http://www.rizosonline.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=43


Cheaper with some guarantee

http://www.seedsofitaly.com/product/269

.

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

you can'tbuy gigandes beans for seed here, as they've got EU geographical protection, like things like Melton Mowbray Pies  :D etc. So you have to buy the same thing under a different name like from Franchi

Same goes for tarbais beans, which I got from Jeannine from America

course you might get the dried Gigandes beans intended for eating from a deli - our deli sells them in jars, pickled in something - didn't look too close - eye wateringly expensive

[chriscross1966]

Didn't think Spagnas are the same... I've always thought they were smaller... I've got butter beans comin anyway..... might look at the supermarket/deli route for them too... I can test for germination straight off..... anyone else interested....

chrisc

[flowerofshona2007]

I might have a few seeds here that Jeannine sent me will have a look tomorow  ;)

[chriscross1966]

I might have a few seeds here that Jeannine sent me will have a look tomorow  ;)

Ooh... yes please!.... I've a plenitude of squash, various onions and tomatos, and lots of all-female cucumber seed if you want

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

I had some gigandes/gigantes beans from Jeannine last year - I think she got them from Purcell Mountain Farm in Idaho -they were butter beans (lima) and didn't come to anything. The gigandes beans from Greece are runner beans, not the same at all, but the dried beans looked pretty identical

[meg_gordon]

Husband just back from a conference in Corinth last night and has brought back dried gigantes.  If you pm me your address I would be happy to put some in the post for you.  I take it these just have to be soaked and they will sprout?  Never thought of growing them before - but going to try now.  Love them cooked in tomato and onion (although around Athens they put some chilli in when cooking them in the winter).

Meg

[meg_gordon]

ps - the only place I found them was in a greek deli on Moscow Road, just off Queensway in London.

M

[Robert_Brenchley]

Any chance of a few? I tried them last year, they did nothing, but I'm not sure anyone else's did either.

[Deb P]

I had about 6 seeds from the bean seed swap last year, I think from Jeannine.

2 of the 6 germinated, neither grew well outdoors and are struggling to flower now....so it doesn't look as if I will get any to try or save! :-\

[Digeroo]

the yin-yang variety

Yin yang quite big plants but do not seem to climb.  Made a bit of a mistake put them at the north end of a row of climbers.  As plants they are rather unremarkable. Perhaps I was expecting black and white pods. ;D

Pintos - Should have no problem with growing from supermarket, except you will not know if they are climbers or not.  My lottie neighbour grew borlottis from supermarket beans, seemed to be a bit random as to whether they were dwarf or climbers.

I am growing several beans from HSL, ODriscoll, Major Cook and Bridgewater.  All produce quite nice large beans, and are nice fresh (not dried).  My favourite is ODriscoll, nice tasty bean, very early to produce.  Similar to pintos.  Don't know why you can buy imported soya beans frozen when we could be eating these - they are lovely.

[flowerofshona2007]

Had a look, only have 6 so will send them to you tomorow hun :)

[1066]

interesting what you say about Soya Beans Digerro - a lot of the main seed suppliers simply don't stock them.
they are on my list of things to try next year
1066

[Sholls]

interesting what you say about Soya Beans Digerro - a lot of the main seed suppliers simply don't stock them.
they are on my list of things to try next year

Avoid 'Elena'. I made several sowings, all produced weedy plants which were reluctant to flower. (Unlike every other variety of bean I planted).

[1066]

Thanks for the insider info Sholls!

[meg_gordon]

Any chance of a few? I tried them last year, they did nothing, but I'm not sure anyone else's did either.

PM me your address and I will post some at the weekend - cant get to post office til then, sorry.

Meg

[Digeroo]

interesting what you say about Soya Beans Digerro

Not sure that Soya beans do well in our climate, there are lots of climbing french type that produce nice large tasty beans rather than green beans.

[chriscross1966]

Hmm... if I can spare the space I might well try to get some mixed beans from the deli and just give them a go :-)..... argh... why can't it be spring already?

[1066]

interesting what you say about Soya Beans Digerro

Not sure that Soya beans do well in our climate, there are lots of climbing french type that produce nice large tasty beans rather than green beans.

I've read the same thing but its so tempting to try, just to get the fresh beans   :-\

Roll on Spring !!