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Post by ladymarmalade on May 22, 2017 17:20:37 GMT -5
Spike asked in the shoutbox if runner beans were different from pole beans. They most definitely are, though they are similar in many ways- including the fact that they are both part of the legume family. The wiki on Phaseolous Coccineus is pretty thorough on the origins as well as other information about runner beans. What the wiki doesn't share is that runner beans generally grow the best in cooler conditions. Once it gets really hot and stifling out, they tend to put on the brakes for a while. However, unlike other bean plants, once it cools back down the vines will spring back into action producing new flowers and pods. While the wiki states that they are perennials, here in Wisconsin they are definitely not. I grow Scarlet Runner Beans and Sunset Runner Beans together on the same trellis. If I get them planted early enough, they will sprout and grow and vine up and then produce the most gorgeous display of flowers that will last the whole season long. This picture was taken at the beginning of July last year: If a person wanted to eat them as green beans, they can, but they need to be picked while the beans are no thicker than a number 2 pencil. Once they get bigger than that they get tough and fibrous. They do need to be cooked thoroughly, because they contain the same toxin as kidney beans and can cause stomach distress for sensitive folks if not cooked through. For myself, I grow them for the flowers, and then at the end of the season, I harvest all the mature pods and use them as dried beans. I shuck them and spread them out in cardboard flats to dry. Once dry they go into a mason jar for use in chilis and stews all winter long. They have a fabulous texture when cooked from dry- the skins are thick and give the beans some texture, and then you bite in and are rewarded with a creamy and tender inside. They hold their shape and integrity with long cooking, making them ideal for dishes that get reheated a few times (like a big ole pot of chili). Runner beans will absolutely take over a space if allowed to do so in ideal weather conditions, so it's not just something to toss in the garden willy-nilly.
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Post by spike on May 22, 2017 18:03:21 GMT -5
OH nice and thank you. There is so much for me to learn.
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Post by brownrexx on May 23, 2017 7:10:21 GMT -5
I actually don't like the scarlet runner beans as dry beans because they are so large and "beany". In other words they are a little too starchy for my taste but I will be growing a couple of vines of them anyway this year because the hummingbirds absolutely LOVE the red flowers and it is so much fun to be in the garden and have hummingbirds buzzing by.
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Post by aftermidnight on May 23, 2017 12:37:04 GMT -5
My grandparents and parents immigrated to Canada from the UK in the early 1900's, being English they always grew Scarlet Runners, not for the flowers but to eat, back then this was the only bean they grew and this was the only bean we ate other than canned beans. I could hardly wait for the first runners to hit the table, yum. Yes you had to pick them young and gran always frenched them before steaming. I've grown many varieties of runners over the years, but a few years ago I came across a purple podded runner bean developed by a fellow in Wales, like all runners they are very promiscuous, those darn bumble bees, to keep them from crossing with other runner varieties you should only grow one variety of runner at a time and hope your neighbor is growing the same variety or non at all. This purple podded runner "Aeron Purple Star" is the only runner I grow now, not only are the pods stringless they are tender with a sweetness to them not found in any other runner I've grown. For those who might be interested... aeronvale-allotments.org.uk/aeronpurplestar/Annette
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Post by horsea on May 27, 2017 0:28:10 GMT -5
My grandparents and parents immigrated to Canada from the UK in the early 1900's, being English they always grew Scarlet Runners, not for the flowers but to eat, back then this was the only bean they grew and this was the only bean we ate other than canned beans. Annette Hi, Annette. Glad to see you here talking up beans. Nobody does it like you! I know the topic here is runner beans, but I didn't want to create a new thread to talk about one specific variety of pole bean. I lost my pole bean seeds somewhere so had to grab whatever I could at the seed store here. There was only one variety and it is called Gold Marie, a yellow pole Romano type. I've just put them to soak and hope to get them in the soil in a few days. Are you familiar with this variety?
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Post by aftermidnight on May 27, 2017 9:02:10 GMT -5
Hi back at you, I haven't grown Gold Marie for many years, too many others to try, you know me and beans.I did grow them once or twice back in the nineties and although wax beans are not a favorite if I remember correctly they were pretty good. The two varieties of wax beans I'm most likely to grow now are 'Barksdale' or Grandma Nellie's Yellow Mushroom.
You can't find your bean seed? I'd be having a nervous breakdown right about now LOL. Is there anything I can send, most of mine are stored in the freezer so it would take a few days to thaw them before I open the jars but, if I got them in the mail toot-sweet you still would have time to get a crop and possibly seed, PM me with a shopping list.
Annette
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Post by ladymarmalade on Jul 15, 2017 9:51:51 GMT -5
My runner beans are looking so pretty now! These are both Scarlet Runners and Sunset Runners that I'd grown last year and saved seed from. I was kind of hoping they would cross together and produce some new variations among the flowers. It seems they haven't done that. Still, they are stunning to look at and I love how they provide a backdrop to my garden.
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Post by hairymooseknuckles on Jan 19, 2018 13:36:57 GMT -5
The only runner I've grown was Insuk Wang King. They tolerate heat better than most runner beans. My seed came from Jim Wright. He saved a 50 pound sack and shared them will all who asked for them.
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Post by aftermidnight on Jan 19, 2018 15:00:27 GMT -5
HMK I've grow Insuk Wang Kong too and you're right this seems to be the only runner that tolerates warmer climates. Originally this was a mixture of speckled or splashed black on pink seed coats but there was black and some pure white colored seed coats in the mix. I have to admit it's a pretty good tasting bean when the pods are picked young.
Annette
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Post by paquebot on Jan 19, 2018 23:26:34 GMT -5
If Insuks Wang Kong produces black or white beans, it's crossed with something. I've grown it a half-dozen times and never had a single variance. There are several varieties of runner bean which will throw a variety of colors but IWK is not one of them.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by hairymooseknuckles on Jan 20, 2018 0:36:06 GMT -5
If Insuks Wang Kong produces black or white beans, it's crossed with something. I've grown it a half-dozen times and never had a single variance. There are several varieties of runner bean which will throw a variety of colors but IWK is not one of them. Martin The truth is more important than the facts. My original seed from Jim Wright had some black seeds. No white ones though. When Jim wrote about it back on Gardenweb, it seems there was a mention of an occasional white bean. It's been a long time though and my memory may not be accurate.
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aqua
Pro Member
Posts: 295
Zone:: 8b9a
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Post by aqua on Jan 20, 2018 9:43:37 GMT -5
just adding my two pennies-
I purchased the scarlet runner bean a few years ago, and although it grew happily- over ten feet on a trellis- I got rare flowers, and zero pods. Very disappointing because I gave it a good bit of real estate, and I have very little.
I think it must NOT be a bean for my area, I'm just too hot and humid here in 9b. To be honest, the rattlesnake is the ONLY successful bean I've grown here. This year I am trying a few bush beans, just to try to get something else on the plate besides the rattlesnakes.
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Jan 20, 2018 10:36:30 GMT -5
I received some "Liberty" Runner beans in a swap recently. They are huge seeds and very attractive. I've not grown runners for 20 years or more. I think this year will be the year to reacquaint myself with them. horsea, How did you like the Gold Marie? I thought they were alright, but they are flat podded and weren't popular with the wax bean lover. After growing every pole wax bean I have been able to find over the years, I gave up and bought these bush beans which came highly recommended. Last evening we ate the first bag of them from the freezer. They held their shape and flavour, they weren't starchy or chewy which has been the problem with most of the wax beans I've frozen. A keeper for sure! www.heritageharvestseed.com/Pisarecka-Zlutoluske-p88260786
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Post by brownrexx on Jan 20, 2018 11:55:58 GMT -5
Scarlet runners grow well for me and the flowers are beautiful but guess what else likes them besides the hummingbirds? Japanese Beetles!
It's funny because I grow several varieties of beans for drying as well as one variety of green beans for fresh eating and one variety of yellow beans for fresh eating. The Japanese beetles swarm all over the scarlet runner beans and also the black beans from Puerto Rico while leaving the black turtle beans and the other beans alone. Obviously they smell different to them.
I decided to try the scarlet runners at our cabin in Western PA and they grew nicely but right after they started to flower - the deer ate the plants! I don't have deer at home. Oh well. I really didn't like eating the scarlet runner beans anyway. We like smaller beans.
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Post by aftermidnight on Jan 20, 2018 13:00:49 GMT -5
Insuk Wang Kong did originally have black and white seed in the mix, most have weeded these out. I actually requested and received a few white seeds from Jim Wright, the man who originally distributed this variety. I hope this allowed a thread on these from another forum www.gardenweb.com/discussions/2012903/colors-of-insuks-wang-kong?n=13Annette
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Jan 20, 2018 14:38:37 GMT -5
Back to runner beans in general, do they tolerate any frost at all? I could plant runner beans 3-4 weeks earlier if young plants can tolerate a brief, mild frost.
By a brief, mild frost, I mean a low of 30-35, with 0-4 hours of temperatures below 32F, and a bit of ice on the foliage. Typically the day following a frost like this is sunny with high high temps in the 50s or low 60s, so the ice is gone a hour or two after sunrise.
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Post by hairymooseknuckles on Jan 20, 2018 14:44:22 GMT -5
Insuk Wang Kong did originally have black and white seed in the mix, most have weeded these out. I actually requested and received a few white seeds from Jim Wright, the man who originally distributed this variety. I hope this allowed a thread on these from another forum www.gardenweb.com/discussions/2012903/colors-of-insuks-wang-kong?n=13Annette Yes, that's what I thought, but wasn't 100% sure. Again, I remember something about the white blossoms setting the white seeds as normal blossom color for this bean is Red. again, I'm not 100% sure, so take what I remember with a grain of salt.
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Post by aftermidnight on Jan 20, 2018 14:53:23 GMT -5
hairymooseknuckles, somewhere in my foggy memory I seem to remember someone getting red flowering vines from the white seed she planted and was quite disappointed but I'd have to go back and search all the threads on IWK's, like looking for a needle in a haystack. Annette
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Post by paquebot on Jan 20, 2018 15:53:39 GMT -5
Learn something every day! I've never seen any off-color seed with IWK. Also never saw it advertised as any other color but purple and black. Leads me to believe that those from Wright were crossed just as Chris Hoetschi (zeedman) reported on that GW thread. The clinker in the works is that I had those seeds probably in 2010 or 2011 and not connected with Jim Wright. Both who list it in SSE cite him as their source. Chris thought that the white in Wright's was a recenr cross and that would explain why I have never seen white. There is a runner which does throw 3 different but that one has black, brown, and white--a genetic factor which also exists in some common beans.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by hairymooseknuckles on Jan 20, 2018 17:36:10 GMT -5
paquebot, We used to have some great bean discussions on gardenweb back in the day. So many beans so little time
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Post by horsea on Jan 26, 2018 18:22:40 GMT -5
I received some "Liberty" Runner beans in a swap recently. They are huge seeds and very attractive. I've not grown runners for 20 years or more. I think this year will be the year to reacquaint myself with them. horsea , How did you like the Gold Marie? I thought they were alright, but they are flat podded and weren't popular with the wax bean lover. After growing every pole wax bean I have been able to find over the years, I gave up and bought these bush beans which came highly recommended. Last evening we ate the first bag of them from the freezer. They held their shape and flavour, they weren't starchy or chewy which has been the problem with most of the wax beans I've frozen. A keeper for sure! www.heritageharvestseed.com/Pisarecka-Zlutoluske-p88260786The Gold Marie did not grow for me. Thinking back, the pkg looked old and crumpled up a bit and some of the seeds were damaged though obviously I did not use those particular ones. "Gold of Bacau" is the best yellow pole bean I have ever grown, grew them for several years, but then I thought I would look for another variety that requires fewer days as they really are a late-summer, early-fall variety. Don't know about you, but I'm in the middle of the winter blahs here in Manitoba...however, I rec'd the big Baker Creek Catalog as a Christmas gift; this was quite a surprise, so I turn to that when I need a lift, and really get lost in it. While I am here - I do wish they had more info on their seed. Is it just me finding fault, or what. Maybe I have been spoiled by the extensive growing info to be found in Johnny's catalog over the past 30 years. Glad you mentioned the Pisarecka Zlutoluske. Maybe I should buy a pkg of those. Good things apparently have hard-to-say names, don't they? PS: Do you actually eat runner beans or is it just for their beautiful appearance?
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Jan 26, 2018 18:29:25 GMT -5
I don't recall eating runner beans? I think I just grew them to attract hummingbirds and to gaze and amaze at their beauty. I haven't seen a Baker Creek catalogue since they began charging for them. I read it online and I don't order from them anymore.
Not worth the outrageous Postal rates, nor the exchange. I can find anything I want through a few trades a year and the occasional purchase from Cdn vendors like Heritage Harvest, Full Circle Seeds or Hawthorne Farm.
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Post by hairymooseknuckles on Jan 30, 2018 9:41:25 GMT -5
bluelacedredhead, I didn't order anything from them either. I never had any problems with their seed, I just decided to give my money to smaller businesses. This year, Almost everything I ordered came from Remy at The Sample Seed Shop with the exception of a couple of beans.
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