Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Disappointed with Wax Beans

I always plant pole beans - I have a small garden and I find I get much better production out of a small area with pole beans. But the beans can be so hard to find - they blend in so well - and no matter how well I pick them, I always find some that are getting too big and tough that I must have missed the day before. A few years ago I saw some new hybrid purple beans and while they turn green when cooked, I thought what a neat idea - maybe they will be easier to pick so I planted them instead and was very diappointed in them - they really did not climb very high and did not produce anywhere near what I was used to with Blue Lake. So I went back to my Blue Lake and was happy to have lots of beans to eat and a few to freeze off of my bean towers. This year I decided to try yellow wax beans for the same reason - just to see if they might be easier to see. On planting day, I remembered what had happened with the purple beans and decided to plant one tower with my old reliable Blue Lake and only one with the new wax beans. I am so glad I did. The yellow beans started producing first (the green beans are just now starting) and it was so good to get that first taste of fresh beans - but just when they seemed to be hitting their peak and I was getting enough to eat, production suddenly stopped and the plants appear to be dying back. Over so quick. The Blue Lake, while they are later than bush beans seem to produce into September - while I won't get as many off of one tower as I would have off of two - I am so glad that I will have this one tower and not have my bean season over with already. The wax beans were definitely not as much of a flop as the purple beans were and if I had a larger garden, it might be nice to plant them for contrast and to have an earlier variety, but I think I will go back next year to just my beloved Blue Lake - it hasn't let me down yet (other than hiding those green beans!).

1 comment:

David (Snappy) said...

Good luck next year.I have been slack this year after the dissapointment of last years lettuce and veggie trial.I felt quite disheartened.But this year i feel the urge to grow something that can be EATEN.some deep seated farming blood?My mums family all lived in rural Gloucestershire.I think my green fingers come from there.I loved the lemonade stand, it is quite sweet that you recorded it in the blog.And that he made the effort to do it.
Keep on gardening.