Open Req for Bean Varieties

[Balvenieman]

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.

[chasndeb]

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

[Balvenieman]

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.