Insuk's Wang Kong
 

Here are a few pictures of Insuk's Wang Kong runner beans that I started from seed this spring. I started 12 seeds in cups and all germinated. I planted some in my GH to grow up a trellis. And the rest I planted out in the garden to climb up a pole. (unfortunately something ate a couple down to the nub!) The flowers/blossoms and seeds are beautiful! The flowers are more of a fluorescent red/orange color when in bloom. I did have one white flower bloom on one plant. I am getting some little beans now on the plants! This is my first time growing them. I have not seen any hummers on them yet! (Fortex pole bean in foreground)

Ginny

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They are beautiful! Sorry that the hummers haven't discovered them - yet. Hopefully, they will.

Linda

So would you be eating these strictly as dry beans, or can you eat while they are still string beans? Thank you for posting the pics, I have never seen or grown these before but I am familiar with the name. If I am not mistaken, I was going to order them once a couple of years ago but the site was sold out and I didn't bother looking around. They are so pretty, I would use them in my front yard. :yes:

IWK can be eaten as snaps when young, before the pods show bulges. I even snack on them raw, they are sweeter raw than many common snap beans. The beans are fairly good eaten as shellies, when the seeds are fully grown in the pods but not yet dry. The original source said he used the mature seed as dry beans, but I've never tried that.

Here are a few pics I just took with my camera.


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Here is a shot where the beans are more mature. Zeedman, the pods are flat and about four inches long. Ready to eat at this stage? I should go back out and pick one and eat it. How do you cook the pods as snaps, at this stage? Stir fry?? Saute in olive oil and bacon??



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[QUOTE=Labradors2;492831]They are beautiful! Sorry that the hummers haven't discovered them - yet. Hopefully, they will.

Linda[/QUOTE]

Linda, I just discovered a few hummers on the beans early this morning. Out in the garden and one in my GH. I took a picture of the hummingbird inside my GH with my phone. but, unfortunately I am having problems uploading them from computer. I will try later. Thank you!
:)

[QUOTE=peebee;493086]So would you be eating these strictly as dry beans, or can you eat while they are still string beans? Thank you for posting the pics, I have never seen or grown these before but I am familiar with the name. If I am not mistaken, I was going to order them once a couple of years ago but the site was sold out and I didn't bother looking around. They are so pretty, I would use them in my front yard. :yes:[/QUOTE]

peebee, I hope to let a few mature in the pods and let dry so I can save some seeds to plant next season, and to share! ;)

The flowers are so pretty on those beans. I wonder if they would grow well here.

[QUOTE=roper2008;493322]The flowers are so pretty on those beans. I wonder if they would grow well here.[/QUOTE]

I do know in the south you would need to plant the seeds as early in the spring as possible. I would start the seeds indoors a few weeks or so before planting. If the temps get too hot, you should still at least get the flowers. Not sure about the beans. Maybe someone from your area will chime in.. :)

Ginny

[QUOTE=barefootgardener;493290]Here is a shot where the beans are more mature. Zeedman, the pods are flat and about four inches long. Ready to eat at this stage? I should go back out and pick one and eat it. How do you cook the pods as snaps, at this stage? Stir fry?? Saute in olive oil and bacon??



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The smaller pod in the foreground appears to be at the best stage for eating as a snap, the ones behind it are a little too old. The pods do develop fiber as they enlarge, so they are best picked small. "Small" is relative, depending upon the weather where they are grown... in my quick-to-warm summers, the pods are shorter, and I harvest at about 3-4"; but in a cool Maritime climate, they could be longer in snap stage. The young pods eaten raw had no trace of strings for me, and were quite pleasant.

IWK had a bumper crop for me last year, but I'm growing Gigandes and Tucomares Chocolate runner beans this year. TC has really beautiful flowers, bi-colored pink & red... the hummers have been all over them.

Thank you Zeedman. I will pick a few of the smaller ones in the morning and let the more mature ones keep growing for seed.

The Tucomares Chocolate sounds amazing. I will have to look it up. Do you mind if I ask where one might purchase seed?

Ginny

[QUOTE=barefootgardener;493294]peebee, I hope to let a few mature in the pods and let dry so I can save some seeds to plant next season, and to share! ;)[/QUOTE]
Yes, please do so! I grow lots of flowers for hummies and they (and I) would love these. I have never grown beans with red flowers before, only white like Kentucky, Blue Lake , etc. Gorgeous! :yes:

IWK is a great variety - pretty, productive and tasty too - glad you found it, Ginny. It does shut down setting pods in the midAtlantic when the summer heat gets extreme, but bounced right back for me when the temps moderated after August. Young pods are great stir fried or steamed; I haven't tried the dried beans yet but they come in volume! :yes:

ginny
PM me your address and I'll send you some seeds for the IWK. There will be no charge for the beans or postage.
Jim

[QUOTE=jwr6404;493524]ginny
PM me your address and I'll send you some seeds for the IWK. There will be no charge for the beans or postage.
Jim[/QUOTE]

Thank you for the kind offer Jim! If I don't have any luck trying to save some IWK seeds from my grow out this season, I will take you up on your offer later this season if that is alright? Maybe I will have something to offer you in return then. (Even though I know you don't expect it.) :)

Ginny

[QUOTE=PhilaGardener;493413]IWK is a great variety - pretty, productive and tasty too - glad you found it, Ginny. It does shut down setting pods in the midAtlantic when the summer heat gets extreme, but bounced right back for me when the temps moderated after August. Young pods are great stir fried or steamed; I haven't tried the dried beans yet but they come in volume! :yes:[/QUOTE]

We are having a heat wave right now, but the beans keep on producing. So far, at least! I just went out and picked a few young pods. I plan on steaming them along with some new, freshly dug potatoes, for dinner tonight. I did taste one fresh off the vine, and the young pod has a nice mild, sweet taste to it. I like the flavor. Thank you :)

Ginny

[QUOTE=jwr6404;493524]ginny
PM me your address and I'll send you some seeds for the IWK. There will be no charge for the beans or postage.
Jim[/QUOTE]

And Happy Birthday!! Have a beautiful, amazing day Jim!! :)

Ginny

Jim, how does one save seeds/beans from Insuk's Wang Kong? Also how do I know when to pick to eat?

[QUOTE=luigiwu;494500]Jim, how does one save seeds/beans from Insuk's Wang Kong? Also how do I know when to pick to eat?[/QUOTE]

I am not Jim, but to save seeds for beans you need to let some of the pods/beans mature and dry on the vine. Then once the pod is dry, usually at the end of the growing season, it should generally be a light brown in color, remove them from the vine and open the dried pod up to remove the beans. Remove any pieces of pod and chaff, and store the dried beans in a clean, dry jar that is labeled or an envelope. Store in a cool dry place until your ready to plant for next season.

The beans are best picked before the pods fill out and buldge, usually around 4 inches long. They taste pretty good raw even at three inches and pods are still flat. I snack on a few when i am out in the garden.

Ginny

Wondering if it's too late to try a fall planting in NC?

[QUOTE=Tracydr;494670]Wondering if it's too late to try a fall planting in NC?[/QUOTE]

Tracy, IWK germinates rather quickly. I started my seeds four weeks before transplanting outside in my garden the first week of June. They grow rather quickly and are more tolerant of heat than most runner beans. I started getting the flowers in early July! Then set the first pods shortly after. They don't like to set pods in the heat, but I bet in your zone, depending on your first frost, you would have good luck getting flowers and pods this season before your frost. I am not sure how long the pods take to mature and dry on vine if you are looking for the seed. I am letting a few pods mature right now.. I say go for it!! Give it a shot. :)

I read that in warmer zones you can even overwinter the root's of IWK, and it will come back in the spring. Jim might be able to follow up on this if he reads your post and question..

Ginny

Just a comment about Runner Beans - and I assume that I am correct and that they ARE runners???? They certainly resemble them, both in flower colour and pink/purple speckled bean.

We used to eat Runner Beans in England a lot when I was a kid. I don't think we grew them, so we probably bought them and they were 8-10" long and always had strings. We would simply top and tail them and remove the strings, then my mother would slice them finely on the diagonal and cook them in a little water - delish!

We could even buy gadgets that would slice the beans and remove the strings at the same time!

I hate to think of people wasting beans that are perfectly good to eat, just because they have strings.

Linda

[QUOTE=Labradors2;494724]Just a comment about Runner Beans - and I assume that I am correct and that they ARE runners???? They certainly resemble them, both in flower colour and pink/purple speckled bean.

We used to eat Runner Beans in England a lot when I was a kid. I don't think we grew them, so we probably bought them and they were 8-10" long and always had strings. We would simply top and tail them and remove the strings, then my mother would slice them finely on the diagonal and cook them in a little water - delish!

We could even buy gadgets that would slice the beans and remove the strings at the same time!

I hate to think of people wasting beans that are perfectly good to eat, just because they have strings.

Yes

Linda[/QUOTE]

Yes, Linda, you are correct. They are runner beans. As a young child, momma and us kids would pick string beans, and sit outside on a blanket and take the ends off and the strings would pull down the opposite end. Then we just snapped them in pieces with our hands..No gadgets for us and no wasting beans.. The gadget does sound fascinating! I did not know they made them for beans!! :)

I would grow them just for the flowers. I grow flowers for butterflies and hummers. I
think SSE has runner beans.

I only have a couple of these so not enough to make a meal!

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A small meal for one!

The gadget was small, and had blades in it. You would push the bean down through the opening and it would come out in skinny slices. At least I think that's how it worked. As a kid, I wasn't allowed to use it!

Linda