Legumes - The Manual of Seed Saving - page 128

that the plant rises quickly from the ground. It is generally a good idea to maintain long crop rotations
and to plant beans in an open and windy location.
Pods in various stages of ripeness (the pod on the left is completely ripe)
Bush beans are ripe before pole beans planted at the same time, but pole beans ripen over a longer
period of time. Harvest the first robust pods for seed and use the rest for culinary purposes (this is es-
pecially important in areas with a short growing season, as later pods will not necessarily ripen before
the first frost). Those who would like to observe individual plants for desirable traits (vigor, yield, etc.)
should sow seeds farther apart than when growing for food so the plants do not grow together. For pole
beans, it's one plant per pole or grow along a trellis, so you can tell the plants apart; site them 16 in.
(40 cm) apart within the row, 3 ft. (1 m) between rows. Bush beans: 6 in. (15 cm) within the row, 16
in. (40 cm) between. Increasing the number of pole beans around a pole typically has no effect on
yield, as sunlight and nutrient availability are both factors affecting yield. Ideally, pole beans should be
pruned at 6 ft. (2 m) to encourage more beans at a harvestable height.
HARVEST Mark plants selected for seed harvesting conspicuously, as it is nearly impossible to tell
them apart at harvest time. Beans are ripe when the pods have significantly changed color and are
brittle and dry. In areas with a shorter growing season, some later-ripening varieties may not ripen at
all as the pods turn glassy with the first frost. The following trick often helps: before the first autumn
frost, pull entire plants—roots and all—and hang them upside down indoors. This accelerates ripening
and may save your crop.
Harvest dried pods in dry weather and allow them to dry for another two to three weeks in a warm,
breezy spot (though not in the sun or in extreme heat). This is not only a drying process but an exten-
sion of the ripening process, which will help ensure a high germination rate for the seed. When pods
are completely dry, they break open and beans are easily freed. Beans are dry enough for storage when
it is no longer possible to make a mark on them with your fingernail. If they are not this dry when re-
moved from the pod, dry the beans longer.
SELECTION CHARACTERISTICS The common bean is an example of crop diversity that is almost un-
fathomable. Seeds can be colored in any tone imaginable, whether single-colored or multi-colored.
They can be large or small, flat or spherical. Even the pods come in a wide array of colors: green, yel-
low, blue, mottled. Different varieties are adapted to different climates, and people have selected for