tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33294007.post2283824797525290604..comments2024-03-25T13:56:15.075+00:00Comments on Our Plot at Green Lane Allotments: Spilling the beans on the FrenchSue Garretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08164518448098182276noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33294007.post-85079570597299863042013-11-17T10:29:14.949+00:002013-11-17T10:29:14.949+00:00I like that the different coloured beans have diff...I like that the different coloured beans have different coloured flower and that the coloured one are easy to spot when pickingSue Garretthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08164518448098182276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33294007.post-60578279280905296722013-11-17T10:06:12.765+00:002013-11-17T10:06:12.765+00:00I grew some purple ones a couple of years ago but ...I grew some purple ones a couple of years ago but was disappointed that they turned green when I cooked them so didn't grow them again. I also tried yellow ones but the family weren't so keen on the colour on the plate so now I just stick to the tender-green ones!!Tanya.https://www.blogger.com/profile/08436595615435609755noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33294007.post-61767950956146383692013-11-17T10:04:10.789+00:002013-11-17T10:04:10.789+00:00Tall beans would fit in as an ornamental, Helene a...Tall beans would fit in as an ornamental, Helene as many have attractive flowers.Sue Garretthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08164518448098182276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33294007.post-30791058691918907172013-11-17T04:44:19.889+00:002013-11-17T04:44:19.889+00:00Impressive harvest, and equally impressive record...Impressive harvest, and equally impressive record keeping!<br />I don’t grow much vegetables but I do enjoy eating them :-)<br />HELENEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16112289914239038835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33294007.post-17152984695755946772013-11-16T17:26:44.085+00:002013-11-16T17:26:44.085+00:00I've noticed that too, Jo - strange isn't ...I've noticed that too, Jo - strange isn't it?Sue Garretthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08164518448098182276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33294007.post-73574911904523355322013-11-16T17:01:02.860+00:002013-11-16T17:01:02.860+00:00I tried Cobra for the first time this year too, bu...I tried Cobra for the first time this year too, but after problems with germination at the start of the year, none of my beans did particularly well. I also grew Blue Lake, a variety I regularly grow and can recommend. I've noticed in the past that yellow beans don't seem to perform as well as other colours, though I've found that with yellow courgettes too.Johttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17436932004631816039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33294007.post-3854736890232684342013-11-16T16:05:27.038+00:002013-11-16T16:05:27.038+00:00Well spotted, Janet yes they are peas, The others ...Well spotted, Janet yes they are peas, The others were grown up the hazel sticks produced after coppicing one of our hazel bushes. The other is due for coppicing this year,Sue Garretthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08164518448098182276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33294007.post-81188731552061475932013-11-16T16:02:27.260+00:002013-11-16T16:02:27.260+00:00We try really hard to resist the temptation to sow...We try really hard to resist the temptation to sow early, Jessica. It is difficult when others are busy sowing seed though isn't it?Sue Garretthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08164518448098182276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33294007.post-38603622912187934402013-11-16T14:37:33.746+00:002013-11-16T14:37:33.746+00:00I have cobra too, though I didn't get the grow...I have cobra too, though I didn't get the growing due to kitchen distractions! I agree about growing the different colours despite the purple ones going green with cooking - I love that the purple podded peas stay purple, we ate lots as mange-tout, they looked amazing in stir fries. Is that your peas growing corralled by diagonal bamboo sticks? Clever idea.Janet/Plantaliscioushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15605580157193047780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33294007.post-50613302195571867282013-11-16T13:44:40.973+00:002013-11-16T13:44:40.973+00:00I think I've learnt this year that it's be...I think I've learnt this year that it's better to sow beans late. I wasted an awful lot of effort getting nothing in the cold spring. Cobra, eventually, did well for me too. I love the look of the purple podded varieties, shame they don't keep their colour when cooked! rusty duckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12238493821002258459noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33294007.post-26332002895864087672013-11-16T11:05:02.767+00:002013-11-16T11:05:02.767+00:00Hi Sue,
I was organised enough to have an "in...Hi Sue,<br />I was organised enough to have an "in date seed 2013" list but this didn't always carry over to what was sown.<br />The successes were: Cherokee climbers which I thought I'd been fooled into planting too early in late May.Masses of young pods,then left the others to mature and bean up.<br />Minidor yellow butterbean .These produced masses of small beans which weighed the plants down on the ground so suffered from slug and excess moisture from the soil.Taste was only so so.<br />Amethyst with purple pods was a much larger variety with the plants standing up well.Most of them got mixed in the sweetcorn and squashes and took a bit of finding.A moderate yield but excellent beans.<br />Failures were:Anellino do Trento green speckled bean (apparently) which were a complete no show and Stanley a green french bean most of which didn't germinate.<br />I'm finding that the taste is best when they are just starting to bean up rather than picking them very young.David Shinnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01349275095909121230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33294007.post-91154025122767964612013-11-16T09:04:19.918+00:002013-11-16T09:04:19.918+00:00You should bear in mind that we do have a large al...You should bear in mind that we do have a large allotment, SnowbirdSue Garretthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08164518448098182276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33294007.post-43795055173974472442013-11-15T20:56:31.313+00:002013-11-15T20:56:31.313+00:00Cobra it is for me next year then! I am SO impress...Cobra it is for me next year then! I am SO impressed not only with your allotment and your yields but the organisation!!! Wow!xxxxSnowbirdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08572555410663928295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33294007.post-33086241790430132012013-11-15T17:47:00.523+00:002013-11-15T17:47:00.523+00:00Not me, Mark. Martyn keeps the records - I just st...Not me, Mark. Martyn keeps the records - I just steal them! (Like he sometimes steals my photos ;) )Sue Garretthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08164518448098182276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33294007.post-59553248656715637502013-11-15T17:23:26.493+00:002013-11-15T17:23:26.493+00:00Sue, thanks for the link. I'm so glad that Cob...Sue, thanks for the link. I'm so glad that Cobra performed well for you too, after I had "bigged it up" so much! I have been growing it for years now, and it always does well.<br />Your post demonstrates very well your thorough record-keeping. You put me to shame...Mark Willishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04558305122821209520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33294007.post-20407505341581333702013-11-15T17:11:46.173+00:002013-11-15T17:11:46.173+00:00Try The Halifax Seed Company based in Canada. They...Try The Halifax Seed Company based in Canada. They advertise Cobra Alain.Sue Garretthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08164518448098182276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33294007.post-88015262822604740012013-11-15T17:09:07.057+00:002013-11-15T17:09:07.057+00:00We've never grown Blue lake, Jill. Looking up ...We've never grown Blue lake, Jill. Looking up on the internet it seems Blue Lake has white flowers whereas Cobra has white and lilac flowers. Do you remember which beans had which colour flowers?Sue Garretthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08164518448098182276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33294007.post-77137286563967465772013-11-15T17:05:12.129+00:002013-11-15T17:05:12.129+00:00We manage to freeze lots of ours CJ so we're n...We manage to freeze lots of ours CJ so we're not too bothered about them coming at once. <br />As you can see we did a little bit of staggering so we had beans from July to September. Trouble is that we can;t plant too early as the beans need good weather.Sue Garretthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08164518448098182276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33294007.post-58573810299466724352013-11-15T13:20:19.717+00:002013-11-15T13:20:19.717+00:00You are so well organized Sue! Thank you for this ...You are so well organized Sue! Thank you for this useful information. I will look certainly look for Cobra (it might be difficult to find on this side of the Atlantic as our varieties are quite different from yours). Here it was not as good a year for beans as the last few years. We had a nice summer, I am not quite sure why they did not produce as well. The tomatoes did very well but not the 6 varieties of beans I grew.rochefleuriegardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06783773632775842680noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33294007.post-4483459570584051692013-11-15T10:53:11.606+00:002013-11-15T10:53:11.606+00:00We also grew Cobra Sue. It's the first time we...We also grew Cobra Sue. It's the first time we've grown French beans and we were very pleased with the yield. We grew Blue Lake too. Unfortunately my pathetically bad labelling meant I didn't know which was which. On balance I'd say those I think were Cobra were longer, uniform green and straight, and Blue Lake were more irregular, and curly. Cobra seem a good bet. Will try Blue Lake again to compare my properly labelled varieties this time!e17jlhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15364226741866390432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33294007.post-62519059084473051022013-11-15T10:40:39.434+00:002013-11-15T10:40:39.434+00:00A really useful post, thank you Sue. I've gro...A really useful post, thank you Sue. I've grown Cobra in the past and found they did well. Last year I grew Safari, which aren't climbing. There were masses of beans, sorry I can't be more specific than that! And like yours, pretty much all within the space of a month. Next time I think I will try and stagger the sowing to extend the season. At one stage I had a carrier bag full of them. Shortly after, they were finished. I think I might try Cobra again next year.CJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14311693185700341580noreply@blogger.com