LOL, the last of the beans I started have just now been planted out, all started in the greenhouse, sitting on trays, the trays sitting on gallon pots in a moat of 2" deep water. The moat alone didn't do the trick it seems Canadian snails can swim. It didn't get any beans but it got a couple of cucs, pots were then surrounded by a copper mesh barrier. I know he must have swam the moat because all pots and trays had been inspected. He was a big sucker that ended up under the heel of my shoe.

This has been the worse year ever for snails, we had a very mild, very wet winter, I never thought I'd be wishing for a very cold freezing winter but have my fingers crossed we get one this year, won't do the eggs in but should get rid of few of the slimy creatures.

Just one more to go, Tanya's Pink Pod, I'm going to direct seed a few and keep my fingers crossed. All the beans planted out are looking good, most have begin to climb.

Annette

Annette, glad you caught the dastardly swimming Canadian snail and quickly blocked the moat with copper. Sounds like your beans are doing well.

I'm already getting beaned out. My scarlet runners (which returned from last year so no replanting necessary) have been producing like crazy since early April, and now that my Purple Pod, Rattlesnake and Kentucky Wonders have started chiming in I think I have to dig out my canner soon. Picked 5lbs altogether yesterday and it's only going to get worse.

My Chinese Mosaic yard long beans are really struggling with the cool nights we've been having, but they're finally starting to climb. I really look forward to those.

Wild Haired Mavens, Rattlesnake should really produce for you once it warms up. They go on and on for me until I give up and stop picking them. Real work horses.

Thanks for the info Humsi,

It's my first year trying alot of these beans so looking forward more beans.

It is also possible to take a needle and thread and string beans on a thread and hang them in a screen porch or similar place to dry out. Then later they can be rehydrated in a soup or something. This used to be called "leather britches"

Oh, yeah, leather britches. My grandmother's family was from the Appalachians and she would do these, we always thought they sounded like something you definitely didn't want to eat unless you had to - who wants to eat leather britches?! ;) Bratty kids.

Lol, it is a funny name, isn't it? Have you ever tried eating them tho? Are they good? I've dried and rehydrated apples and they get kind of tough. I've dried beans on a string, under a fan, but only to get the beans out. Maybe this year I'll try making the leather...bean chez.

I'm sure I have, my grandma would never advertise the fact though. We were a pretty rotten crew. Seriously, though, they went somewhere, and my grandma is a depression-era lady so nothing that was useful got thrown away. Everything she ever made was delicious, so I'm sure they were good :)

Your grandma sounds smart. Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without, is what my Aunt told me, and those days might come back some day.