Hi All,
During out continued clearing of the plot we took down some rusty chain link fencing, which had beans growing up it last year. THere were a load of pods left, and we realised they were full of beans - some dark black ones and some pink with black patches.
I'm just wondering, is it worth planting these bins in pots to see if they germinate and grow this year? I'm hoping the pink ones are borlotti's, but I might well be wrong.
Steve
I would say start from scratch you don,t know if beans have any diseases. at least you will have peace of mind and then this year save your own beans. Then plant a few of these beans in pots just to check them out ;D
I think we'll go with that plan - if for no reason other than having already bought some bean seeds!
But, as it feels so wrong not to, I've popped some of the newer beans onto kitchen paper on the window cill - if they germinate they'll go into the ground where there's some space. We've got loads though, so if the first lot germinate they may become presents (with appropriate warnings about potential disease!)
I've been saving and re-sowing bean seed for decades and I've never seen any "bean diseases".
Viruses don't generally move about via seeds. Bean weevil is a problem in seeds, but freezing the seeds for a day kills it.
I find bought beans have a surprisingly low germination rate the year after - whereas I'm still getting 80% germination from my 2006 batch - I suspect the seedsmen keep their seed stocks until all visible sign of weevil has come out and then sell the un-perforated ones (the freeze cure is a very recent discovery).
99% of the history of bean (and everything else) growing has been saving and re-sowing seeds from the same plot.
If the seeds were dry enough to survive the big freeze then they will probably display exuberant germination and rude health.
Cheers.
Beans don't get many diseases. Saving seed is perfectly standard, and if they're French beans, they'll come true. Runners may have hybridised if others are growing them close by.
I'd use them. ;D
I have used some in the past. That's exactly how it works in nature... so it will be reasonably safe! :-\
You could just eat them, if you already have enough seed. Saved beans added to a stew, or cooked on their own are delicious. Round our plots, I am known for collecting other people's overgrown (in their view) bean pods of every type, with permission. They would toss them on the compost heap, otherwise.
I've been through all the pods and taken out all of those showing signs of damage (some were mouldy, others had small cuts (weevils?)). I'm left with about 50 beans which are either Borlotti or Pinto. 16 have gone into my germination experiment, so in about a week I shall see how they're doing. If they germinate I might do the same for the rest and have loads of beans this year - the soil needs to nitrogen and I'm sure the chickens will love them too. I can also give them away to friends.
I like the idea of it all being recycled, seems very allotmenty.
Steve
I can back up the problems with year old commercial vs self-saved, last year I grew yihn-yangs where about half of the seeds I planted were self-sved and half an unopened pack of commercial seed that was a year old... results were over 90% germination for the self-saved, less than 20% for the commercial, and they went into the propagator side-by-side.....
chrisc
UPDATE:
I've had 18 beans in plastic pots trying to get them to sprout/chit on the window sill since Sunday. None of them have yet sprouted/chitted but a couple of them have a fine white mould around them. Is this part of the process, or are they rotting? Should I have seen any signs of them sorting themselves out yet?
Steve
i think the white mould is a sign of rotting seed, but not shure
i would start again with fresh seed
I'd give them another week... some moulds are harmless... :-X
Beans do have a commensal fungus in their roots, it's wierdly tolerant of copper fungicides (probably cos the bena will deal with it for them)....