seeking great-tasting pole beans

[Zana]

Originally Posted by mayax68

Here is a picture of my Rattle Snake look alike. The beans are green as soon as you take them out of the pod. When dried they are a warm tan color with purple specs. I also included a picture of real rattlesnakes dried - they are a different shade, more grey then tan, but also have purple specs.

They could very well be the WCM Pole Bean aka Purple Stripes aka Mennonite Purple Stripes. I've seen them smaller or quite a bit longer. And I've seen them with less striping on both the pods and the seeds.

Yeah they are similar to the rattlesnake beans...but the question is how well they produce side by side in high heat or how long they go side by side as the temps drop in the fall. I've grown both, and prefer the WCM Pole Bean....but I'm biased as I introduced it to most of the people growing it or selling it that are on Tomatoville. LOL That or those people I originally traded with have passed them on to other people. Which is a good thing in my estimation as it is considered very rare.

Zana

[habitat_gardener]

I got my WCM from Remy (Sample Seed Shop) a year or two ago; I don't see them on her current list.

I grew both WCM and Rattlesnake this year. The WCM were much larger and are edible (and crunchy, eaten raw) at a much larger size than the R. But the R were more prolific this year, though they got smaller as the leaves started turning yellow. WCM stayed fairly large. Both have taken a break in my garden, with several each going to seed, but the WCM has already started to grow new leaves from the base of the vines and I've picked a few beans from the new crop.

In the photos below, they look almost the same! The first one is R, and the second is WCM.

p.s. Thanks, Zana, for recommending WCM! I tried them on your rec. and enjoyed them. This year I have 3-4 pods at the top of my 10-ft. stake, so I should have enough saved seeds to keep growing them.

[Zana]

Glad you enjoy them. Its good to see that its continuing to be grown...and spreading beyond this area. And I'm glad you've had a good crop so far and more are coming. I'm hoping mine are going to revive....they didn't do well with the house move and move all my plants in containers/pots. Some of them are showing a resurgence...but I think my beans have pretty much bit the dust....but who know's there are still green leaves on the plants, so I might get more.

I wonder what the origins of the "Rattlesnake Bean" are? The reason that comes to mind is that many of the Mennonites that settled Waterloo County back in the early 1800's were originally from Switzerland or Russia, but came by way of Pennsylvania. I wonder if they're connected at all?

Zana

[roper2008]

Last year I was too busy with my tomatoes and peppers
that I did not grow any beans. They will be in my garden
2013. I have tried rattlesnake and Auntie Vi (from a lady
in canada). I like them both, and will be growing them
next year again, but also want to try some new ones. I
am thinking about north carolina long speckled greasy
cutshort, cherokee trail of tears and fortex if I can find
them not sold out. My list may expand or change as I
read about so many good beans between here and
gardenweb. I have been paying attention to the threads
about the gigandes bean also.

[nicky]

I just did a blog about the bean varieties that I grew this year.

Nicky's Garden

I ended up with 21 different types squashed into my garden. If you are trying to cut down on your bean varieties don't read the blog. I will be adding more beds next year.

My favourites were Rattlesnake, Gold of Bacau & Carolina Greasy for fresh eating. I haven't cooked the dried beans yet, but Jacob's Cattle was a stand out in that it dried on the plant VERY early this year.

Cheers

[Tormato]

Roper,

How many beans (North Carolina Speckled Long Greasy Cutshort) are you looking for?

Nicky,

Very nice blog, but...
Orca and Calypso are two different beans. If you'd like samples of those, and any of about 100 different bean varieties, send me a PM.

Gary

[roper2008]

About 20 seeds Gary.

[nicky]

Oops - yep, meant to change that & totally forgot - thank you Tormato I was making a list of ones that I wanted to try & got myself all mixed up.

I really enjoyed those that I grew this year & can't wait to cook some up! I love the colours & shapes of the dried beans.

[Timbotide]

I tried Zelma Zesta this year and really like them alot. The vines were vigorous and I'm still picking from plants that I set out in August. This bean is a Rattlesnake pole type bean that I purchased from Rodger Winn of Rodger'sHeirlooms.

I have grown pole beans all my gardening years, and liked Ky Wonder until I discovered KWINTUS--- I LOVE them! They are flat, and NEVER get tough or stringy even if they get 15" long.. Very productive and strong growing. I got my seeds from Parks but they are available from other sources- just Google them.