Heirloom Bean Seed Information

Varieties

• Heirloom bean seeds basically come in three kinds: snap, lima and runner. Snap beans are the most popular and come in varieties such as Blue Lake, Cherokee Trail of Tears, Hoffer's Lazy Wife, Purple String, Shoestring, Kentucky Wonder and Trionfo Violetto. Christmas, Dr. Martin's, Jackson's Wonder and King of the Garden are all types of heirloom lima beans. Runner beans include Painted Lady and Scarlet Runner.

Where to Buy

• Many companies offer heirloom seeds for sale. A few of those companies are Bountiful Gardens, The Cook's Garden, Fox Hollow Seeds and Heirloom Seeds. You can also get involved in heirloom seed exchanges. There are clubs exclusively for exchanging heirloom seeds with other club members. Most of these clubs charge a yearly fee. A couple of these clubs are The Digger's Club and Flower and Herb Exchange.

Save Seeds

• Seed saving is an easy way to insure that heirloom beans will be around for a long time to come. Allow the seeds to dry completely on the plant. Pick and pull the bean seeds from the pods. Freeze them for 24 hours to kill any diseases or insect eggs on the seeds. Package the seeds in paper envelopes. Label the envelopes as to what heirloom seeds are in the package. Put the date on the envelope as well. Put the seed packages in a cool, dry place to wait for next year's planting.

How to Plant

• Most varieties of beans grow well in warm climates. Some beans, such as runners, do best in climates where the temperature stays around 80 degrees Fahrenheit or less. Plant the seeds directly in the ground after all danger of frost is past. Heirloom bean seeds need full sun exposure. Sow seeds an inch deep in well-fertilized soil and about two inches apart. Bush bean varieties grow close to the ground, where pole beans need something to climb on. As soon as the first pole bean seedlings appear, insert a pole or cage for climbing. Water the plants deeply once a week. Do not pour water over the leaves of the plants; water the plants near the roots.

Enjoy Them

• Different varieties of heirloom beans have different flavors. Some are great for just eating raw off the vine while some are better slow-cooked in a soup or stew. Look up colonial recipes for beans. The catalogs you ordered the seeds from or the seed exchange clubs have recipes available for you to try as well.