My father always used to save his bean seeds from year to year, as did his father. However, in today's climate, it's wise to be wary of infringing copyright if you are using hybrid seeds for the first time.
Freezing beans works very well as does that old fashioned method - salting. If you are running out of freezer space, it's always worth trying.
As I understand it, you'd be ok using seeds you've saved yourself, even if they to have Breeder's Rights or whatever they're called. It's just that you shouldn't sell them.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I save my bean seeds but as I am growing Scarlet emperor + Celebration + White lady all together I can not be sure what variety I might end up with - perhaps this time next year I can tell you. Last year I did not include White Lady and I can not see any sign of hybridising between the other two. I did spend a half hour last week watching the bees breaking through the back of the flowers and I notice a lot of beans not setting! The culprits seem to be the smaller type with a white fluffy tail. I guess the other insects are doing a proper job as I still get beans but only about a third of what I expected.
I had a poor crop of beans this year....mine were covered with black fly however . . Would that stop me getting beans? I think I've only had about 10 beans from 5 plants. I thought you couldn't go wrong with runners
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My father always used to save his bean seeds from year to year, as did his father. However, in today's climate, it's wise to be wary of infringing copyright if you are using hybrid seeds for the first time.
Freezing beans works very well as does that old fashioned method - salting. If you are running out of freezer space, it's always worth trying.
As I understand it, you'd be ok using seeds you've saved yourself, even if they to have Breeder's Rights or whatever they're called. It's just that you shouldn't sell them.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I save my bean seeds but as I am growing Scarlet emperor + Celebration + White lady all together I can not be sure what variety I might end up with - perhaps this time next year I can tell you. Last year I did not include White Lady and I can not see any sign of hybridising between the other two. I did spend a half hour last week watching the bees breaking through the back of the flowers and I notice a lot of beans not setting! The culprits seem to be the smaller type with a white fluffy tail. I guess the other insects are doing a proper job as I still get beans but only about a third of what I expected.
I had a poor crop of beans this year....mine were covered with black fly however . . Would that stop me getting beans? I think I've only had about 10 beans from 5 plants. I thought you couldn't go wrong with runners