of years; explorers brought them back to Europe, where they became integrated into the cuisine, eventually becoming a staple in the Colonial diet.
How to grow: Most types of beans grow well in warm climates. Runner beans, however, produce best when the temperature stays below 80°F. Plant all beans after any danger of frost is past, in full sun, in soil with plenty of added organic matter. Sow the seeds of bush beans 1 inch deep in rows 18 inches apart. Thin seedlings to 2 inches apart. Pole beans need a strong trellis, put in place before planting, to climb on. Plant pole bean seeds 1 inch deep, 2 inches apart. Thin seedlings to 6 inches apart. If your soil is fairly fertile, no extra fertilizing is needed. If beans look pale midseason, fertilize with fish emulsion. They are best watered deeply and infrequently at the base of the plants.
Beans have their share of pests, including bean beetles, beanloopers, whiteflies, aphids, and cucumber beetles. Anthracnose and a number of leaf-spot diseases are most prevalent in humid climates.
Harvest snap beans when the seeds inside are still very small and the pods are tender. Make sure you pick all the young beans as they come along, or the plants stop producing. Harvest young runner bean pods for snap beans (the pods are usually larger than standard snap beans). Fresh shelling beans should be harvested when the pods fill out noticeably but before they get dry. If they get too mature, allow them to dry for winter use.
For dried. beans in rainy climates, drape whole plants over a crude drying frame or store them in the garage. In a dry climate, let the pods dry completely in the garden and harvest the whole plant. Once the bean pods are completely dry, separate the seeds from the pods. For a small batch, just shell the beans by hand. For larger harvests, cut a 6-inch hole in the bottom corner of a burlap bag and tie it closed with string. Put the plants in the bag, hang the bag on a branch, and beat it with a stick to loosen the beans from the pods. When most of the beans are free, hold a pan under the hole, untie the string, empty the beans into the pan, and remove the chaff. Repeat the process as necessary.
Beans from the Seed Savers garden
Clean the beans from the chaff; when the beans are completely dry, store them in a dry place in a container that will keep out bugs. To prevent weevils, first put the jars in the freezer for twenty-four hours to kill the eggs.
Heirloom beans at Seed Savers
Varieties
Hundreds of varieties of heirloom beans are available. The Vermont Bean Seed Company carries a large selection, and Native Seed-SEARCH carries Native American varieties.
Snap Beans
‘Blue Lake’: 62 days, pole, 6- to 8-foot vigorous and productive plant, sweet-tasting green pods
‘Cherokee Trail of Tears’: 90 days, 8-foot pole, prolific, purple-tinged pod, snap or dry beans, tradition says it was carried on the Trail of Tears forced march by the Cherokees from Georgia to Oklahoma during the winter of 1838-1839
‘Fin des Bagnols’ (‘Shoestring Bean’): 55 days, bush, 1880s, French heirloom filet, pick while very young, every 2 to 3 days
‘Hoffer’s Lazy Wife’: pole, stringless green pod; German and Pennsylvania heirloom; named for its ease of preparation
‘Hopi Purple String Beans’: purple with black crescent-moon-shaped stripes; can be grown with little or no irrigation
‘Kentucky Wonder’ (‘Old Homestead’): 68 days, pole, popular since the mid-1800s and is still great, plants are rust resistant
‘Trionfo Violetto’: 65 days, pole, stringless purple-podded Italian heirloom, vigorous vines, deep lavender flowers
Lima Beans
‘Christmas’ (‘Large Speckled Calico’): 100 days, pole, vines to 10 feet, 1840s, nutty-tasting white seeds with maroon spots, high yields, does well in hot, humid weather
‘Dr. Martins’: 100 days, pole, vines to 10 feet, about 1935, developed by a dentist in Pennsylvania, 5-inch pods with two to four huge beans each, plant when soil is warm
‘Jackson Wonder’: 66 days, bush, 1888, developed by a Georgia farmer, small seeds buff with purple-black mottling, good fresh or dried; plants do well in North or South, hardy, drought tolerant
‘King of the Garden’: 95 days, pole, dark green 8-inch pods, rich, nutty-tasting beans, high yields
Runner Beans
(grown for snap, shell, or dry beans)
‘Painted Lady’: 100 days, vigorous vine, 1855, red and pinkish white bicolored flowers, pods to 12 inches, brown-and-white seeds
Scarlet Runner: perennial vine grown as an annual, red flowers, pods to 1 foot, prefers cooler climates
Shelling and Dry Beans
‘Black Turtle’: 90 days, bush, South American, from before 1806, shiny black beans, hardy disease- and heat-resistant plants
‘Borlotto’: 73 days, bush, Italian heirloom, colorful rose-and-cream pods, delicious creamy white beans with rosy speckles
‘Genuine Cornfield Pole’: 72 days, originally from Mexico, long favored by Iroquois, can be planted among corn plants, 6-inch pods, 10-to 15-foot vines, heavy producer, pods can be eaten when young but they are best shelled fresh and dried
‘Great Northern’ (‘Great Northern White’): 65 days for shelling beans, 95 for dry beans, bush, introduced in 1907 but originally obtained from Mandan tribe, white bean, often available in grocery stores
‘Hidatsa Shield Figure’: 90 days, pole, from Hidatsa Indians in North Dakota, large white bean with speckled tan “shield”
‘Jacob’s Cattle’ (‘Trout’): 85 to 95 days, bush, New England favorite, originally from the Passamaquoddy tribe, white seeds with maroon splotches, for shelling or dry, in baked beans keeps its shape
‘Low’s Champion’: 90 days, bush, 1884, New England heirloom, strain of ‘Dwarf Cranberry Bean’, small deep-cranberry beans with white eyes
‘New Mexico Bolitas’: New Mexico heirloom, these light brown beans cook faster than pintos
‘Santa Maria Pinquito’: 75 to 90 days, vigorous semi-trailing vines, ⅓-inch long squared off pink beans, valued in California since the days of the early Spaniards, stays intact when cooked, great for baked beans and refried beans
‘Soldier’: 85 days, bush, well-known New England heirloom, slender, kidney-shaped, white seed marked with a “soldier” in yellow brown on the eye; does well in cool climates and in drought
‘Black Seeded’ runner beans
‘Swedish Brown’ bean and Soldier bean
