Open Req for Bean Varieties

 

    For many years our (DW&I) favorite round green bean has been the
"Delinel" variety. It is a thrifty, early and prolific, dark-seeded,
richly-flavored, tender French filet bean that freezes well. Since it's
fairly tolerant of moderate chill, I've always been able to plant early
for an early long-lasting crop before the long hot season begins to
interfere with pollination.
    However, a confluence of events and circumstances has produced two
successive mediocre-to-dismal crops. Although, not ready summarily to
abandon my old standby I do intend to dedicate a garden bed to an
alternative, possibly successor, variety. Any suggestions for a compact,
early, "bush" bean likely to thrive in peninsular FL? Raised beds, sandy
soil that notoriously "eats" organic matter over time.
--
Running on single malt in U.S.A.
Peninsular Florida,
USDA zone 9b

 

Balvenieman wrote:

I live a bunch further north than you... I'm harvesting lots of beans
this last week or two. AndI am not a really good gardener, but I have
done it for a few years. The last  couple of seasons I've grown, with
success, Blue Lake - both bush and pole varieties - and they both
produce lots of pods and are fairly early. Provider is another variety
that has done well for me and if I remember rightly, it might be a
little earlier than Blue Lake. They are not exactly exotic varieties,
but produce well and reliably; keeping in mind that where the seed comes
from can make a huge difference.
Hope this helps a bit. Good Growing.
\Chas

 


    I'm envious. I pulled mine up last week; now all that's left in
that bed are a few peanuts. Beans begin failing here in late June or in
July. This year, I think I'll try for a late-season (fall-winter) crop.

    Well, I'll pass on the "Blue Lake" but may give the "Provider" a
try. Thanks for the suggestion; "Provider" seem to be commonly available
here. "Blue Lake" was developed for commercial packing companies and is
the variety that is sold, canned and fresh, in most supermarkets
throughout the U.S. I know that because, in my youth, I worked for the
late "California Packing Company", which grew thousands of acres of
late-season "Blue Lake" beans in central and south Florida to be sold
under the "del Monte" and "Argo" brands. A white-seeded variety, they're
prolific but a little short on flavor and just don't have the punch that
this old head needs.

    I have considered seed origin as a possible contributing factor to
my last couple of years' lack of success. I've not been able to find a
U.S. source for a few years and have been purchasing "Delinel" seeds
from T&M (a British company with U.S.A. offices and distribution).
Although, packed in U.K. the seeds are French-origin. Germination has
always been spotty, which I attribute to soil/climate/latitude
differences, but this is my first truly dismal production.