Time for Contender Snap Beans

Spring is here, meteorologically speaking, and the Daylight Saving Time will be here in a few days.  It is definitely time to get the garden started.  New plants are available in garden centers and some of the cool weather plants have remained with us.  In addition, new vegetable and flower seeds are also nicely on display at the centers inviting the gardener to select a few packets.

Some gardeners turn the soil and let it be for a few weeks.This is so that the grasses and weeds will have a chance to decompose in the sunshine.  I have turned the soil but I don't think that I'll be able to wait.  The soil was relatively free from debris and I removed the dollar weed that invade my garden space and otherwise won't leave.

I prepared the soil for the high yielding, disease resistant, Contender Snap Beans, and under sunny skies the beans should germinate in about six days and I should be able to pick the snap beans in 40 - 60 days.

I doubled sowed a five foot long patch; meaning that I made two furrows where I otherwise would sow only one.  It works very well for me and the beans have plenty or room to grow.  I also planted two short rows elsewhere near the garden.

Seed Saving:  I asked the helpful lady at Standard Feed if their seeds were open pollinated, heirloom, and not hybrid.  She said that all their seeds were open pollinated and if they were hybrid e.g. tomatoes it would be stated on the packages.  I have plans to save some seeds from the Contender Snap Beans and hybrids will not work.

At the end of the growing season for the snap beans, I will let them dry on the vine until they turn light brown and the beans rattle inside the pods when touched.  At that time, I will harvest the beans, remove the seeds from the pods and make sure they are completely dry, and when they are I will store them in a container in the kitchen cabinet until next season.  I am curious to see how this will work out.  How about you?

Thank you for visiting my blog.