A new journey into homesteading "pic heavy"

[Chic Rustler]

So I found out while planting trees that the area under the orchard has a few inches of Sandy stuff but then it's rock hard red clay. I'm really hopeful the woodchip no till method will break the clay up so the trees can flourish. I'm just going to keep layering organic matter and hopefully the worms and fungi will come do all the hard work.

 

[Chic Rustler]

Finally chopped off those poles and put up a trellis. It's just a string trellis but I'm hopeful it will last the year. Maybe this winter I'll do the raised bed and hard wire trellis.

Anyhow I thought it was the perfect place to plant more or those green beans I got from baymule.

 

[baymule]

Those green beans will make vines.....LOTS of vines! I am glad that you made a string trellis, it's the easiest way to grow and then do the clean up at season end. I use hay twine, then cut it all loose, fold and stomp until I can sack it up in a garbage bag. Or I could spend countless hours of enjoyment picking vines off wire.....NOT!

The first year I planted them, they made tons of vines. The vines raced to the top of the trellis, grew into a wild tangle, massed up and fell over. No blooms. No beans. Aaaallllllll summer! Nothing. I got mad and gave up. September......well, maybe I still watered the monster vines......BLOOMS! I got excited! The Vine Monster finally had blooms and made green beans.

I planted them in the same place the next year, true to form, they made tons of vines, but bloomed and made green beans much sooner. Those freakaziod vines made beans until a HARD killing frost in DECEMBER!! I got sick and tired of durned green beans! These are the zucchini of green beans!

Don't despair if they don't do much the first year. Just keep them watered and see what happens.

 

[baymule]

Fun way to serve these to your kids......tie them in knots and steam.

 

[Chic Rustler]

when are they ripe for picking?

 

[Chic Rustler]

I didn't fertilize them with rabbit manure at all and don't plan to. I did add an inch of rich black compost over the seeds after I planted them. I'm hoping that will be enough for them until they get established and make their own nitrogen.

 

[Mini Horses]

Wow....those are some loooong beans! Must be tender or you wouldn't replant or share them. What kind are they? Taste? Stringless?

 

[milkmansdaughter]

@baymule you can tie them in knots?? How cool is that? I've never seen beans that long or flexible!

 

[baymule]

The first year is hard to predict, it could be a couple of months or longer. Plant in the same place next year, the seeds get acclimated and do better each year.

They are great sautéed or steamed. They are stringless, tender and have a mild taste. I can them in home made soup. By themselves they get mushy (to me). I cut them in 5” lengths, roll in buttermilk and dredge in cornmeal. Then I deep fry and we dip in ranch dressing. Yum!

 

[baymule]

These are ready to pick when they are about the diameter of a pencil. If you can feel a hollow, then they are too old to pick, let them go to seed. The beans do not make a solid line of beans, rather they skip spaces and there aren't that many seeds per long bean pod. Twist off the bean gently from the stem they grow on. The stem will bloom again and again, making more beans. Rip off the stem and you don't get many beans.

Cut beans in 5" lengths and wrap half a slice of bacon around the middle. Arrange on a cookie sheet and bake until bacon is done.

Cut them up in stir fry. Sautee with mushrooms. They are good in almost anything!