Rattlesnake, They are real tender.

My best recommendations for stringless pole beans would be "Fortex" and "Emerite". Both are round podded, and have good cool-soil germination. "Emerite" has straight, very uniform pods, and is the best bean I have tried for canning. "Fortex" has some of the longest pods, up to 11", and has a sweet flavor that is great eaten out of hand.

"Kentucky Wonder" is a great bean, I grow it as my main pole snap every few years. It's one of the best for flavor, IMO... but the pods need to picked young.

I can't pick them every day, and one day the wind blew down my support system, and so it was more than a week before I had the time to put it back up. I believe that the younger beans were the better ones.

I am going to follow my wife's direction on getting a different bean this year.

And thank you for your inputs. Hope these are available locally.

Would suggest Kentucky Blue and Fortex. The Kentucky Blue gives you a classic bean without strings and the Fortex has wonderful taste and a long pod.

Lazy Housewife was bred for being stringless
I second Fortex and Rattlesnake

I grew Fortex, Purple Pod and Rattlesnake in the past. I got the Purple Pod because it was unusual and added some color. My experience with Fortex is they got windburn real bad. If I only could grow one Pole variety I think I would go with Rattlesnake. I think I have some of each if you want to work out a trade.

obrionusa,

If you are on Facebook, go to my page and sign up as a friend, or at least send me an email message, and I'll discuss that.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1502544394

"My experience with Fortex is they got windburn real bad."

That was my first experience with it also... it's the one major weakness. "Kentucky Wonder" suffers from wind bruising as well, although not as badly. "Emerite" had virtually no bruising for me, so it might be a good choice for windy areas.

Wind bruising is seldom a consideration for me now, though. I trellis a lot of crops each year, about 500 row feet. That & corn plantings produce a lot of areas sheltered from the wind, and I plant the more delicate beans in those locations. "Fortex" has done outstandingly well when sheltered.

I checked with Earl May and Wal*Mart, and did not see Fortrex, or Rattlesnake seed. Where can it be found?

Chances are that you won't find "Fortex" or "Rattlesnake" being sold retail in our neck of the woods. However, there are many mail-order sources for both. The best way to find them is to go to the Cornell site (link below) and use their custom search feature.

First search for the variety ("bean Fortex") & click on the variety to get the full info. Then click on the "search" box located just below the description. It will give links to retail sources. I like their custom search, because it filters out most of the irrelevant results.

Here is a link that might be useful: Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners

Zeedman, is the man for my source of info on beans.
I have followed and read your posts for the last couple of years.
I used to go by "Cyrus..) then.
Glad to be back.

Mark,

Greeting from a fellow Iowan in the 4b, I bet we are neiighbors.

I have to agree with the Rattlesnake recommendations, it would be a good recommendation for a stringless bean.

I am surprised Earl May did not have them, if I remember right the local Early May's had them a couple of years ago. They were on a speciality rack though. If you are in Northeastern Iowa and want to road trip to Decorah, then visit Seed Savers Exchange and they have them, along with tons of other heirloom seeds, and I mean tons.

Send me email by clicking on my name and follow the "Send me an Email" link, I can probably hook you up.

Sincerely,

Dean

Hey you, Yeah, you! Come here.

Yah want to buy some seed cheap? I gotta dime bag of rattlesnakes right here.

I'm just wondering about a gardening forum where someone can "hook you up".

:D :D ;)

DarJones

Mark,

You could try the exchanges section for Rattlesnake, or other beans.

Dar,

I can't start calling you Dime Bag Darrell, because that name is already taken.

Gary

You guys crack me up. Good one, Fusion!

(wiping soda off myself)