dwarf bean growing trial

​This year, I am conducting a number of growing trials in the garden.  You can read about my other trials here: tomatoes, capsicums and chillies, eggplants, okra and basil.  In addition, I am also conducting a dwarf bean growing trial for the first time.  My aim is to compare and contrast the performance of different varieties, as well as the taste of the beans.  I have never done anything like this before (for dwarf beans or other veggies for that matter), so I am excited about this project over the summer.  I intend to report back with updates during the growing season.

On the 10th of December, I harvested our Liseta potatoes and our wwoofers Geffery and Magalie sowed all of the different varieties of dwarf beans I had in my collection.  To separate the different varieties and ensure that I know which one is which, they made a neat site with string and labels (see photo above).  Prior to sowing the beans, they worked compost, sheep pellets and nitrophoska fertiliser into the ground and dug the site over well, raking it until it was smooth.  All beans were sown direct.  It’s not a good idea to raise beans in punnets for transplanting later, because they hate having their roots interfered with.  Besides, they germinate very easily when sown direct.

This year, I am growing the following varieties of dwarf beans:
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• Amish Dwarf Bean (Pennsylvania) (Heritage Food crops Research Trust)
• Baby (Egmont Seeds)
• Berrgold Improved Dwarf (Egmont Seeds)
• Blue Lake Dwarf (Kings Seeds)
• Canadian Wonder Dwarf Bean (Heritage Food Crops Research Trust)
• Colour Combo Dwarf (Kings Seeds)
• Dwarf Admires (Egmont Seeds)
• Dwarf Bean Mix (Yates)
• Dwarf Cherokee Butter (Egmont Seeds)
• Dwarf French Commander (Egmont Seeds)
• Dwarf French Contender (Egmont Seeds)
• Dwarf French Green Crop (Egmont Seeds)
• Dwarf French Jackson (Egmont Seeds)
• Dwarf French Hickok (Egmont Seeds)
• Dwarf French Top Crop (Egmont Seeds)
• Dwarf Green/Gold Mixed (Egmont Seeds)
• Dutch Brown Soup Bean (Heritage Food Crops Research Trust)
• Dwarf Bean Mix (Yates)
• Fin de Bagnols (Kings Seeds)
• French Garden Filet dwarf (Kings Seeds)
• Golden Wax dwarf (Kings Seeds)
• Kaiapoi Red Dwarf Bean (Heritage Food Crops Research Trust)
• Purple Tee Pee Dwarf (Kings Seeds)
• Red Kidney Dwarf Bean (Heritage Food Crops Research Trust)
• Red Swan Dwarf (Kings Seeds)
• Rijdal A Dwarf Bean (Heritage Food Crops Research Trust)
• Roquefort Dwarf (Kings Seeds)
• Royalty Purple Pod Dwarf (Kings Seeds)
• The Prince Dwarf Bean (Heritage Food Crops Research Trust)
• Top Crop Dwarf (Kings Seeds)
• Xera Select Dwarf bean (Kings Seeds)

Keep an eye out on my blog for updates as these varieties grow!