2009 Bean growing and Harvest

[S.F. Clark]

My "test plots" of yellow-eye and soldier beans had a tough year. I planted just before Memorial day. I used seeds from Veseys. I planted in Hadley, Massachusetts in the best soil on Earth. Each plot had eight 70-foot rows. The plants came up and grew well at first. I side-dressed and cultivated in 10-10-10 about the time of blossoms. I was able to keep them weed-free by hoeing, cultivating, and hand-weeding. The rains started after the first beans formed. The plants began to look stunted. The leaves dimpled and appeared lumpy-shrivled ??? but I couldn't find any aphids or other bugs. With continued rain the plants lost their nice dark-green color and appeared stunted. I don't think the fertilizer burned them. Can I blame the rain or ?? too much cultivation for (what appear to me to be) stunted plants?

In mid to late-July the rows couldn't be walked for fear of treading on beans. I figured the beans would shade out the weeds. WRONG. I welcome any suggestions for weed control.

So, For the past couple of weekends I've been pulling dried plants out from under the weeds. In 70 feet I picked 5 to 6 gallons of bean pods. ...After picking the first row I just pulled plants. My best plant had more than 25 well-formed dried pods. Most plants had 3 to 6 pods. It looks like the yellow eye out produced the soldier beans.

I expect to have the pods picked from the plants by Christmas. Then I'll be ready for the thresher.

I welcome any and all advice. Thanks!

[S.F. Clark]

This post was intended for the Winooski Bean Thresher Coop. Why isn't it filed under their topic?

[Alec Hill]

First, you gotta be a member of that group.
Once you're a member, go to that group's page (&you have to be logged in to the site) and then add the discussion there.
Cheers~

[S.F. Clark]

Thanks Alex,

I thought I started on the "Bean Threasher discission", so I thought my post would go there. I've looked for a "Threasher" group, as you advise, but it appears there is no such group.

I guess I am saying this software (discussion machine) is clunky ... not as effective as some others.

[Alec Hill]

whoops, sorry about that misdirection! I thought there was thresher group, but only a thresher discussion. There might be more than that one discussion but I'm not sure. It sounds like what you wanted to do is "reply to this" the way I've done here?