Evening Gloria and All, Well I got a gift in the mail for little Gem Bean and I hope he likes it. I really think that it will made him very happy for a little while. I would like to see his face when he opens the package. Maybe the mail man will not lose it. I hope it gets there at least by Sat. I am sure a happy bean tonight I got word that another friend got some of little Gem's Aunts and Uncles. The PM program got here today and I would like to thank you for sending it. As soon as we can get out of that bean patch I will try it out on some one. Check with you later. G. Bean
What could it be? Ahh G Bean, what are you sending for my little Gem Bean?? You will never let me catch up on what I owe you already. I think it might be time for me to harvest the stevia plant, do you think? I can't get over how easy it is to get clippings rooted from it. We had a lot of rain the past few days and can't get my greens garden going, too wet to get the tractor in it to disc, but the mustards are growing good in my new flower bed. Hubby just laughs at me cause I'll grow things anywhere I can. These mustards are growing in the front yard next to the street! Perdi has sent me seeds for lettuce. I've never tried growing it but I sure will now. Planting usually slows for me in the fall but this year is different. I just can't seem to stop. I got the growing fever! I'll check back later.
Good Beanie Day to you Gloria, When I get the urge to do something I just go ahead and do it and do not worry about catching up. I can always say the Mean Green Bean made me do it. I just hope the package gets there tomorrow or no later than Sat. I have my fingers crossed. On the Stevia plant. It says the later in the fall you harvest the better and even to cover it when the first frost is expected. This is the time that the plant is packing the sweetness in the leaves. Did I send you the link on Stevia? When you harvest the leaves it just takes 12 hours of good sun shine to dry them and no more because they will start to lose the sweetness. I went to check on ours the other day and something had broken four limbs off of two of them so I put them in water to perk them up and now will root them if I can and will soon have four new plants. I guess I could send one to the JYD. The Hubby may have to plow up all them pretty flowers to make room to plant all of the seeds Perdi sent you and the shoe box full I intend to send. You might even have to plow up the neighbors pasture to get them all planted. I had to do just that with my big bean patch. If I remember right it seems that a certain good friend of mind sent ma a hand full of Hibscus seeds that I will need to plant now. I wonder who that friend was? Our friend Perdi has loaded me down also. I will never be able to catch up with her but I can for sure get even with the two of you. You for sure have the growing fever and there is no cure for it. All you can do to get any relief is to plant plant plant.. I knew it would happen but I did not want to warn you. I need to go make my rounds of the big bean patch and see what needs picking. I dread it. The greens patch has gone wild and needs to be grazed on bad. There are turnips already bigger than my thumb. I may take a picture of it and let you post it for me. What are we going to do with all of the greens?? HELP! G. Bean
Hi G Bean, Jar those greens! I've never done that but have frozen some and don't too much care for them frozen. Love them fresh thou! I think it would be better to can them. I wish I were there to help. Yes, I have the link on the stevia but I think I need to go back and read again. My memory tells me that one site said something about August harvest but my memory fools me sometimes. I will wait as I want it to have time to become as sweet as it can. When you get those hibiscus up, be sure and pinch them back so they will get bushy. The yellow ones grow real tall if they're not pinched. I have lots of space to plant beans or what ever I'd like. Over an acre behind my house that's just sitting there as well as the spring garden spot. I just need a tractor! I will have one yet even if I have to ask Santa for it! I agree, I have the growing fever for sure but I like it that way. Send your pics and I will get em posted. I'm sure all the members would enjoy them too.
Good Morning Gloria, Thank you so very much for posting the greens patch picture for me. It is like you said on picking and looking back and it has already grown back up. I am going to rent a big bus and get me a big wash tub and go up to the neighbor hood above ours and go up and down the streets beating on that tub as hard as I can and when the folks come rushing out of their houses to see what is going on I will herd them onto that bus young and old alike and bring them down here and tell them when they get that green patch grazed down I will take them home. We will have a truck to haul their sacks, pokes. bags and boxes for them. Then the next week end we will have to do the same thing. If we don't keep the tops pulled the greens will get tough and not fit to eat. The turnips will be ready before long and I may pull a load and take them up on the mountain to a good friend. Did you decide how big of a patch of greasy beans you want to grow next spring? I need to know or I will send seed to plant the whole plot. You will have 50 rows with 200 seeds spaced 12" between so I will need to send you 10,000 seed plus 10% for replacing the ones that don't sprout. You will need 400 feet of wire for top and bottom of each row X 50 so that comes to 20,000 foot of wire and with just one string per seed you will need 60,000 feet of string and each plant has several vines so you may have to add string as they appear. So you better order several new canners to take care of the beans as they are ready to pick. You may need to give the neighbors a mess or two when little Gem's Aunts and Uncle's go to producing beans. Since your growing season is longer than ours you will make a lot more beans than we can You may need to rent several big buses and go to town and beat on you Mothers big wash tub. Now my math may be off just a tad as it has been a few times but you can see what you are in for if you don't tell me how big of a hut you want. Will be back later to see what your answer is. I am going to make my tour of the bean patch and pick what seed are ready. G. Bean
Hi G Bean and all, I just can't get over getting a box full of greasy beans in the mail!! My dinner tonight is planned out for sure. Greasy beans, fried chicken and potato salad. Oh my gosh, I'll be stuffed! Gb, I was thinking about maybe 3 rows of beans about 30 ft long myself or do you think that might be too much? I don't want to take on more than I can handle and I have no help once the planting is done. The weeding, picking, stringing, canning, etc is all left up to me. Hubby will help me get the hut up and get it planted but he is tied up with his work so after that I'm on my own. You know better than I how to expect them to produce. What do you think?? I like that you have this bean growing down to a science. At least I have your expert advice to help me through my first attempt. I'm excited and can't wait til Spring!
Morning Gloria, Glad the box got there before the week-end because if not they would have wilted and been hard to snap or sweated so much that they would not been fit to eat. I hope your first greasy meal was a great one. I hope you did not get the tummy ache. Three rows X 30 foot should be big a plenty to get you started but the next year you will want a bigger patch. Just wait and see. Our three rows were 40 foot so yours should produce a good crop for you because our kitchen patch done very well for us. We could not keep up with the beans so we started jaring some and started giving our neighbor lady beans to jar. I will have plenty of seeds plus what little Gem and his sisters and brothers make should get you started. You might want to plant his seeds separate from the ones I send so you can keep a record of them. You should also keep a close watch on both patches when they start growing and put a marker on the first vines that bloom and save them for seed and keep these seed separate for next season and mark the first bloomers and soon you will have beans two weeks earlier than you would otherwise. In your location it may not matter because of your long growing season but up here in the mountains we have to try every thing that will help us get a good crop. Do not worry about growing the beans because if they need anything they will let you know. They will give you little signals that you must learn to pick up on. The beans as with all garden plants if you keep them happy and healthy they will keep you likewise. You Will Be A good Bean Grower. G. Bean
beans with a blast Whooo Hooooo! Those beans were GOOD!! People, you just don't know what you're missing! I will have my very own patch next spring, thanks to you G Bean! Heirloom seeds are definitely the way to go!! I have a huge list of seeds I am ordering from an heirloom seed company. Tomatoes, greens, all sorts of goodies. Can't wait to get started next season y'all!!
Greetings Gloria, It has made us both happy that you have had your first Greasy Bean meal and Since I have you hooked on the long Greasy Beans it is time to spring another one on you. While the Long Greasy is a great tasting bean and we have over a 100 qts to prove it I have a short greasy that is in a class all by its self. I did not have a big crop this year or I would have sent you a mess of them also. If you think you could handle one more row I will send you seed for it. You would not be sorry and after your Hubby dined on a bait of them he would beg you to plant several rows of them the following spring and I bet he would even help you tend them. They are that good. I would not fib to you to get you to try them. Which company are you ordering from? I have heard that some companies will bend the truth a little just to sell their seed so be careful. Did I send you the link to Bill best heirloom seeds I trust him and his seeds. He may not have every thing on your list because he is mostly a bean man and one that inspired me to switch to more heirloom seeds. You may already know that you can not let the heirloom tomatoes hang on the vine to long or the insides will fall out. They have to be picked as they ripen. The store bought tomatoes have been bred to have a longer shelf life which is why they do not have the flavor that the heirlooms do. The home grown does not need a long shelf life if you pick them when they are at their peak. You may as well get that tractor and get to plowing because I can see from the list that you want that you will need it. You could plow the field now and put a mixed greens cover crop on it and let people come pick all they wanted and turn it under next spring and be ready to go. Do I hear a tractor with a modified engine roaring across your field with you driving and a grinning like a cat with a twitty bird in her mouth? I do think I do I do. G. Bean
G B my garden isn't much bigger than the tractor I have a very small one and very short rows.about 8 ft. long 6 rows.
Good Evening Glendann, If there is no option to make your garden bigger could you go side ways after the vines reach the top wire? How wide is your garden? with just one or two rows you could at least grow a mess or two and maybe more. I think we could fit them in some where. Just do not give up yet. I sure would like to see Gloria roaring around her new Greasy Bean patch with her new tractor doing wheelies getting it ready to sow all of the greens seed that she has on hand. I don't remember if she has any purple top turnip seed or not and if she does not I may have to send her some because no greens patch is complete without turnips.(IMHO) I will send you some GB seed and you can at least see what they are. Hope you are having a wonderful evening. G. Bean
Thank you GB I am going to plant them and see if I can add onto my garden a little more.My problem is being able to take care of it and work too.
