Bean Questions... and what seeds I am planting now

[Donna]

Wow, well there is something to be said for not having too many seed varieties! Trying to decide what to plant is almost impossible with my collection - especially tomatoes as I want to seed save (if they grow) so shouldn't really have too many at a time. Narrowed it down to Principe Borghese (good for drying), Cherry Yellow Pear, Black Zebra & Green Zebra.

I am not very good with beans and have no idea what to plant when with the exception of the Snake Bean which did really well last summer. Would appreciate advice
* Whether I can plant any of these now (or if not what season)
* Recommended spacing
* Climbers or bushes
* Edible or green manure
* Worth growing to eat - whether you need 100 plants to get a decent amount lol

Beans Sex Without Strings
Madagascar Frost Beans Bush Bean
Pidgeon Pea
Soy Beans (are these just for green manure?)

After much deliberation, need to find room to plant over the next few weeks in five raised beds, the front fence and along the side for sprawling plants (melons etc):
Globe Beetroot
Capsicum Marconi Rosso
Chilli Helfire Mix (Jalepeno, Santa Fe Grande, Poinsetta, Red Hot Cherry & Habanero Mustard)
Cucumber Chinese Snake
Sweet Corn Balinese
Ground Cherry Aunt Molly (none of these came up last year & only have a few seeds left)
Eggplant Early Long Purple
Lettuce, Mixed leaves
Lettuce, Freckles
Okra, Green
Pumpkin Potimarron
Peanut Virginia
Tomatoes (above)
Red Pak Choy (yukky hybrid? Diggers packet says F1 but also 30th anniversary?)
Pai Tsai
Rockmelon Israeli Haogen
Rosella
Silverbeet Fordhook Giant
Squash Gem
Watermelon Golden MIdget
Zucchini Midnight Tinge (yukky hybrid)

Californian Poppy
Sunflower Teddy Bear

[Addy]

My, you are going to have such a great variety to pick! I have the same problems with beans, the only ones I seem to have success with are purple kings and snake beans. Btw, is "Pai Tsai"= bokchoy? Isn't it getting too hot for brassicas?

[Donna]

Bought seeds from an Asian grocer, the packet isn't in English but it says Ching Chiang Pai Tsai and
The dwarf plant is with oual green leaves as spoon. The leafstalk is thick, flat and succulent. It is tolerate heat and coldness and can be planted all year round. Generally about 40 days are needed ot grow after planting.

I have a shady area so will plant it there and see how I go..

[Addy]

Here's a pic of your pai tsai http://www.harbest.com.ph/seeds/paitsai.htm
Looks like baby bokchoy, I'd like to grow some too! Will have a look next time i go to the Valley...

[Scarlett Patrick]

I grow bok choy/ pak choy/ choy sum/ pai tsai over summer but in the shade, and they don't thrive - but they're still ok

[Donna]

I have purple king beans coming with my diggers free seeds so will be able to try them soon.

[Florence]

I am growing choy sum, bok choy and also radish (cherry belle, sparkler, icicle, daikon) which are also brassica.. they do bolt to see quicker though...

I've planted sunflowers with some of them for shade...

[Vanessa]

I planted some climbing beans (blue lake?) a couple of weeks ago? Or maybe only one week, can't remember. Anyhow, they're in part shade and are doing fantastically so far, I've never had any luck with beans but I'm hopeful for these as they haven't shown any sign of disease like all past crops at this stage or earlier. All the best. Variety is a great thing, something I'm trying to work on.

I've got some self-sown pak choi that's just come up in my brassica bed (same one as the beans) and it looks to be doing ok so far, probably because of the recent rains.

[Elaine de Saxe]

Weirdly I've had best results with climbing beans in the summer. Previously I took note of the opinion that only Snake Beans were suitable to grow in summer. I've found Snake Beans to be rather dry and prefer Purple Kings or Blue Lake. Both of which, over several years, have performed very well. They thrive in full sun so long as you keep the water up to them and are seriously delicious raw straight from the plant.

Love the description on the packet of seeds, Donna! :-)

[Paula Hewitt]

Im trying to grow pigeon pea from seed at the moment - Ill let you know what they are like. I have lazy housewife beans (Eden seeds) and snake beans in at the moment - all getting some afternoon shade. the lazy housewife are doing better than the snake beans - but in winter i had little luck with either variety of beans. the few LH beans we got were very nice eating

[Addy]

Lazy housewife beans! Never heard of them, but did a google and it seems like a great variety to grow! I may get the chance to go to Herronswood this week, so will see if I can bring back a packet od seeds from Digger's Club.. Has anyone got seeds of "poor man's bean?" - they are reputed to be really easy to grow too.

[Donna]

I am sure you will have a great time at Heronswood - I am so jealous, it would be great if you could take some photos and do a blog post about it!

Diggers has this to say about the Lazy Housewife Bean:
Thought to be the first stringless bean dating from 1802. Described in Burpee's 1888 farm annual as being broad, thick and very fleshy, and entirely stringless "it derived its name, which seems discourteous, from its immense productiveness making it easier to gather..." Our oldest and still the most productive.

Will have to look out for Rattlesnake, Diggers say:
Green streaked purple beans are as delicious as the pink and purple flowers are pretty. Flowering and fruiting continuously for four months.

[Florence]

I would be very interested too, as I am planning a trip to Melbourne in early December and thinking about visiting Heronswood.

Which reminds me that I have a question about Digger’s membership, I should probably start a discussion instead of hijacking this one… .

I wanted to try those rattlesnake beans too