Nickel and Rolande french filet bush beans

[zeuspaul]

I am new to growing green beans. Forty years growing tomatoes and one growing bush green beans. On a whim last year I tried a few and to my surprise my better half was out there picking the beans as they became available. She prepares the meals and keeps me out of the kitchen.

My question is will cold weather stunt the bean plants like cold weather stunts tomatoes? I have a bunch of bush starts, four varieties. I am starting to run out of space under the grow lights. Weather prediction is a few 40°F / 4.4°C night time temps.

They all will be going in outdoor containers. Would a cloche make a difference?

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[karstopography]

The beans will probably be fine. I know both my spring crops and fall crops of bush or pole beans have experienced 40° at night. The timing of the cold on the spring crop has been when the bean plants are still young and not yet flowering, but I have not seen any stunting or reduced harvest. What I have noticed with cold is that if cold hits with a substantial amount of wind the bean leaves, especially the older leaves, can get damaged. They usually *snap* out of it.

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This photo is of our local Temperature in 2024 from the end of February and through March 30th. I see 41°, 43°and a couple of 45°. My pole beans have been up and growing during that entire period. I didn’t do bush beans this spring. My emerite pole beans are just now beginning to flower. They look perfectly fine.

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Same period in 2023. A couple of nights in the 30s in 2023. Mid March. No cover, I did have bush beans in 2023. No problems or stunted growth.

[Tormahto]

I am new to growing green beans. Forty years growing tomatoes and one growing bush green beans. On a whim last year I tried a few and to my surprise my better half was out there picking the beans as they became available. She prepares the meals and keeps me out of the kitchen.

My question is will cold weather stunt the bean plants like cold weather stunts tomatoes? I have a bunch of bush starts, four varieties. I am starting to run out of space under the grow lights. Weather prediction is a few 40°F / 4.4°C night time temps.

They all will be going in outdoor containers. Would a cloche make a difference?
greenbeans.png

Would a cloche make a difference? There's only one way to find out. Use it on some of your plants (same variety) and not on others.

I'm sure that you know with filets, the key is to constantly pick the pods when young, as older ones toughen up quickly.

After a plant produces its crop, do you pull the plant, and put something else in its place?

[karstopography]

After a plant produces its crop, do you pull the plant, and put something else in its place?

Me, with last fall’s bush beans direct seeded in mid September those started producing around the end of October and in the case of the one bed I left in they never really stopped producing completely until the mid January 20° arctic blast. After the first strong couple of flushes, the subsequent production was lessened, but still enough to get a decent side dish before the first ones picked when bad in the fridge. By mid-January it was time to get that bed ready for the next thing, tomatoes. I chopped up the remains of frozen plants and turned them over in the soil. There’s no evidence of the beans ever being there at this point.

The other bed of fall bush beans I hauled out after maybe the third flush. I tried some direct seeded bok choy, Chinese cabbage and other greens, but that was mostly a bust, for various reasons. Potatoes went into that bed February 1st and I did an exploratory dig under one plant and saw a nice red tuber that I decided to leave in place.

With my sole Emerite stand of beans now beginning to flower, they will likely be done in June. I don’t yet know what I will do with that spot after the beans are done. I have grown bitter melon and luffa in the wake of the pole beans and I leave the beans in place, but might hack away some of the vines.

[Tormahto]

After a plant produces its crop, do you pull the plant, and put something else in its place?

Me, with last fall’s bush beans direct seeded in mid September those started producing around the end of October and in the case of the one bed I left in they never really stopped producing completely until the mid January 20° arctic blast. After the first strong couple of flushes, the subsequent production was lessened, but still enough to get a decent side dish before the first ones picked when bad in the fridge. By mid-January it was time to get that bed ready for the next thing, tomatoes. I chopped up the remains of frozen plants and turned them over in the soil. There’s no evidence of the beans ever being there at this point.

The other bed of fall bush beans I hauled out after maybe the third flush. I tried some direct seeded bok choy, Chinese cabbage and other greens, but that was mostly a bust, for various reasons. Potatoes went into that bed February 1st and I did an exploratory dig under one plant and saw a nice red tuber that I decided to leave in place.

With my sole Emerite stand of beans now beginning to flower, they will likely be done in June. I don’t yet know what I will do with that spot after the beans are done. I have grown bitter melon and luffa in the wake of the pole beans and I leave the beans in place, but might hack away some of the vines.

I've heard, that to speed up production of a second flush of bush beans, once a branch has produced its crop, cut it back while leaving about a 1/2 inch long nub on the plant. It is supposed to cause a new flowering branch to form quicker than in doing nothing. Pruning some plants, while leaving others alone, would be the way I'd go.

[karstopography]

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The new bed is ready for some fall bush beans. Old western cedar bed bit the dust. I like the new bed. Metal seems to be heavy gauge and the price was reasonable online from the Bezos bunch. Easy to put together.

[karstopography]

Planted some Rolande filet bush beans this morning about five minutes before it started raining hard.

Will follow up with more bush beans in a week or two.

[Tormahto]

I am new to growing green beans. Forty years growing tomatoes and one growing bush green beans. On a whim last year I tried a few and to my surprise my better half was out there picking the beans as they became available. She prepares the meals and keeps me out of the kitchen.

My question is will cold weather stunt the bean plants like cold weather stunts tomatoes? I have a bunch of bush starts, four varieties. I am starting to run out of space under the grow lights. Weather prediction is a few 40°F / 4.4°C night time temps.

They all will be going in outdoor containers. Would a cloche make a difference?
greenbeans.png

Grow pole beans, and she'll keep you out of the house.

Or at best, banish you to the man cave.

[karstopography]

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4 x 10’ bed prepped today for planting tomorrow. Bush beans going in, which ones to be determined.

[karstopography]

4’x10’ bed planted today. East to west, Triomphe de Farcy, Maxibel, Tavera, and Calima
Metal 4 x 8’ got all Rolande 9/2/2024, but just three rows in middle, ends planted in red potatoes. I filled in a few gaps today with more seeds in the Rolande bed. We had seven inches of rain after I planted the first round of Rolande and a few of the planted seeds I believe rotted.

Triomphe de Farcy is listed at 48dtm, maxibel 60, tavera 54, Calima 55, Rolande 54. Should have a harvest beginning around Halloween.

[karstopography]

Picked a handful of Rolande bush beans. Need another day or two to accumulate enough for a decent side dish.

Caterpillars have infested the bean plants. These pests are pretty easy to locate and I smashed at least two dozen, probably more than that.

[karstopography]

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These Rolande filet beans continue on, dodged the recent near freeze. Been getting flushes of these beans since October.

[karstopography]

Planted a 3-4’ row each of Odeon and Castandel bush beans today. Just as an insurance policy against any problems Emerite might have. Had some bed space come available and why not? We eat a lot of green beans around here, can’t really get enough.