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Hi
I'm growing some beans from the seed saving circle and want to double check which ones are which -
is this Kew Blue or Major Cook?

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And then there is this one

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Thanks  ;D

Major cook are curly and spotty.  Most beans look like the pics though sometimes thye come out darker.  So I would say Major Cook.  But they look a bit straight to me, there are a number of other similar vatieties.  Bridgewater is similar colouring but straight beans. 

Thanks Digeroo - It's kind of flecked, so I think your right and it is the Major Cook.

Does anyone have any bright ideas about the pinky tomed one, is that Kew Blue or is it a mystery  ;D

Uh-oh!  ;D ;D

I'm growing Major Cook, and it doesn't look anything like any of those. The first one looks like my Monastic Coco.... unless I've mixed mine up too??  :-\ :o

er, I had! It's Major Cook!   ;D

Major Cook it is  ;D

However there is still this one that I still don't know what it is  :-[

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these were picked from the bottom of the plants....

Major cook are great for baked beans.  Not too much snap crackle and pop.

But they are the devil to dry out, not had them dry on the plant, so tend to stick them in batches on the radiator.

Quote from: 1066 on August 15, 2011, 17:50:35
Thanks Digeroo - It's kind of flecked, so I think your right and it is the Major Cook.

Does anyone have any bright ideas about the pinky tomed one, is that Kew Blue or is it a mystery  ;D

definitely NOT Kew Blue.  Looks like a type of Borlotti.

pictures of Kew Blue
http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/hsl/variety.php?IdNum=129
http://daughterofthesoil.blogspot.com/2007/02/heritage-vegetable-review-climbing-bean.html

A good picture and write up about Major Cook:
http://www.daughterofthesoil.com/majorcooks.html

Any other variety names the pink ones might be?

Thank you one and all, I think the mist is clearing!

I'm definietly growing Kew Blue, and it looks like the photo in the link Galina. result! I've already tried a few young ones, and very nice they are too.

Right, narrowing it down it isn't a borlotti, because I didn't plant them there. So the only other candidate is the Red and White from the HSL (i'm sure I didn't plant any there.....)

Looking forward to trying the Major Cook's as shelling beans, and thanks for the tip re drying them

:)

solved my own mystery  ::)
the pink coloured bean is the Red and White from HSL
""Donated by Mrs Jean Sherier of Hastings, this is a tall variety with yellow-green foliage. The pods are green when first set, but change to red and white when the seeds (also red and white) start to form. Garden Organic member Mr M Hyde  found they cropped well, even in very dry conditions. Seed Guardian Elaine Banham describes them as "extremely beautiful, like glowing jewels in sunlight." The young beans are delicious eaten fresh and the dried seeds have a lovely 'butter bean' flavour."

These are the ones I was hoping to save for the Seed Saving Circle on here  ::)

1066 , what colour are the beans themselves...wondering if they would be good for making greek bean/garlic paste...has to be a white bean :)

Found a reference that says the red and white bean has similar coloured beans...has anyone experience of what colour they go if pasted/cooked?
1066 I carefully labelled some Hellebores I was crossing/experimenting with. All labels removed by "helpful" crow who is semi tame and hangs around our garden.

Hector, I haven't had a look inside yet, but the HSL say they are red and white, so probably not great for your dish (sounds yum!). But I'll have a look tomorrow when I'm on the plot

re labels - it's driven me nuts this year as to where the bean labels have disappeared to, so maybe your "helpful" crow came on it's holidays to the seaside  ::)

Re labels- I used short pieces of blue alkathene (water pipe) to protect my labels this year, this has worked well esp. in the spud patch where I could never find them.
I just cut the pipe to 7" lengths and put the label in the tube :)

good idea pumpkinlover - thanks  :)
I also like Shirl's (I think) idea of attaching them to short canes, so you don't have to bend down and scrabble around.

Just need to get my act together  ::)

I label everything and then I write everything down in my garden notebook.  This is an A4 hardback bound with sticky plastic book covering (and was beautifully decorated with gardening stickers underneath by DD).  A crude drawing of where everything has been planted in relation to the more permanent features or what the adjacent plants are, seems to do the trick in addition to labels.

Labels written in pencil are better because the writing does not fade in sun light.  This year many of my reused white labels have become brittle and broken off.  The much older yellow labels are still going strong - can't find them in the shops anymore.  :(

Yes, the description sounds exactly like HSL red and white bean.  ID success!  :)

Quote from: pumpkinlover on August 22, 2011, 07:57:28

I just cut the pipe to 7" lengths and put the label in the tube :)

Clever idea  :)

Yes I've taken to doing a sort of drawing in my book of what is where, however there are the odd gaps  ::) memo to self carry my notebook at all times next year  ;D

the pipe is such a good idea!  8)

I draw it all as well 1066, I scribble it down when I'm there, then copy it onto a bigger plan of the plot later. It's part of the pleasure of the allotment, when you can't be there, at least you can write lists and diagrams!

ooo yes, nothing like a good list !!

here's a picture of the beans for Hector under-ripe from the Red and White

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