Allotments 4 All

What are you going to be growing?

This year I've gone for....

Inside – Firestorm, first year growing these, no idea to taste but hoping they will be good. I think they were on offer with Thompsons earlier on. I usually grow Red Rum in the poly and they do really well, great tasting too, just fancied a change this year.

For outside I'm going for Blackpod, seeds originally from HSL. I grew these last year and liked them although I only sampled a few as saving them for seed.  I think Digeroo found them a bit stringy once they got a bit older.

Ceredigion another traditional type. Great to be growing a Welsh variety and a lovely tasting and productive bean to boot.

Stenner, I think this is mostly used as an exhibition bean, it's a resection of Enorma which is a super been but I'm also interested as it's a Welsh selection.

Being that Runner beans are one of my all-time favourite veggies  and the first pickings a highlight of the year I can't wait to get growing and picking, just so cold at the moment. I'm hoping to sow my main lot of runners this weekend. Also, although later than usual I've some Firestorm plants I started earlier which I'm growing in the poly tunnel. Hopefully in the rare event we do have hot temps these should still be able to set?

I'm going to grow some white gigandes beans..again They did VERY well last year and didn't mind all the rain and gloomy weather at all..must have had enough of hot Greek climate and come to holidays for something more 'subtle'
Another runner I'm going to try is 'handed around' variety..I saved few pods from elderly chap on our lottie couple of years ago..he wasn't going to grow them anymore...he got them from his lottie neighbour yeeeears ago, who was bit of seed collector himself. Apparently he got the seeds from some 'foreign chap' from some other allotments..and this 'chap' brought them over from his home country...   I just love these stories..
So now I'm the only one left with handful of the seeds as none of the oldies want to keep the seeds going...I have suspicion that they are more of 'for seed beans' variety rather than for green beans..for what I saw of the bods that I picked, they weren't particularly big or fleshy.
Other that rest of my beans will be French sort. I only grow gigandes on allotment and other sort in the garden to give them little bit chance keeping separate from each others.
How do you keep your varieties separated so they don't cross pollinate?

edit to add; ....just had a quick think... I just might put few red rum's to other allotment..or I don't have that many to eat in case 'the handed down' variety is not very nice as green beans..

I'm growing 8 Moonlight again - a wigwam in a large tub. They freeze well and did well last year. My second tub has 8 Cobra also growing well - took off the fleece covers this morning because it was difficult to get at a couple of snails that had made themselves at home! Not too much damage though and it has been warm and a mostly sunny 18C so far today. I will only protect the tubs with fleece if strong winds are forecast - otherwise they are on their own now!

Tricia

Gosh, your part of Devon is the place to be 
Had a very light frost here yesterday morning, hope it will be the last.

white lady for the first time this year plus cobra, lovely french beans. Up a wigwam and with windbreak netting set up on three sides. I have kept some back at home, just in case,  as the allotment is more savage

Growing benchmaster again this year had great results from it last year. A good yield and very tasty. Also trying cobra for the first time so pleased to hear its a good variety.

I just googled Benchmaster, they look a lovely bean, how do they taste?

They tasted good Jayb. I went to the edible garden show last year and DT Browns had a stall all their seeds £1 a packet. These were a new bean for exhibition. I think this year on their site they are £2.59 per packet of 50 seeds.

They were the longest beans I have grown and still eating the frozen ones now.

Scarlet Emperor which crop well and don't go stringy too quickly.

Moonlight which have a delicate flavour.

Good to hear about Moonlight.  I am growing them for the first time this year.
Also Wisley Magic.
Will try Benchmaster next year.  Hope I can get the seeds cheap somewhere.

Quote from: steve1967 on May 19, 2013, 16:12:00
They tasted good Jayb. I went to the edible garden show last year and DT Browns had a stall all their seeds £1 a packet. These were a new bean for exhibition. I think this year on their site they are £2.59 per packet of 50 seeds.

They were the longest beans I have grown and still eating the frozen ones now.

Good to know, I'm quite tempted by the sound of these too. I'm hoping the Stenner beans I'm growing will be of a decent size as they are exhibition type, hopefully they won't be too thin.

We have a show grower on our site Jayb & his are long & plumpish, his stenna runner beans that is . Good luck with them.