[titch]

had quite a few runners that i missed so lots of pods with large beans which i hope to save and dry for next year
i had to strip them off the plant as i made a very shoddy bean frame (note to self check out munty's next year) and now have a bcuket full on my patio - i lack space indoors to dry them in the pods so wonder if i take the beans out of the pods, place thme on newspaper in a warm room will they dry out ok?
got to do this anyway but wondered if it is a pointless excercise

thanks

[tode]

Unless they are really mature (gone yellow and dry), it's probably best to let one plant do its thing and ripen properly on the "vine".

[mumofstig]

M. Tode is correct, but you could just shell your beans and freeze them to use in winter stews and casseroles ...No waste allowed

[DD.]

But if you use them all like that, you have to buy seed.

My 250+ plants this year cost zip.

However, I do admit that after quite a few years of cross pollination they are not quite how they started out & I'll start afresh next year.

[Salmo]

It is likely that you left them because they were old and stringy.

This may mean that you are selecting beans for seed with a tendancy to go old and stringy early.

Do you really want to grow these?

[DD.]

I think titch means, that if she's anything like me, she missed them, not rejected them for eating.

[tode]

Beat me to it Salmo !
I was going to add:  Choose the plant that seems to have given the best beans, for keeping.  Its not necessarily the biggest (dried) beans that give the best results.  

[DD.]

That doesn't mean you'll get the same offspring.

Not if the bees have anythingto do with it.

[tode]

That's true, but at least it gets the chances on your side 

[DD.]

Does it?

Good excuse for a repeat post.

This is the result of the best seeds I saved from a trailing marrow. First year cross.



I admit that with beans such radical cross pollination is not as likely, but over the last few years I've had quite a few very different strains thrown up.

[tode]

They look like giant acorns 
What were the parents ?

[titch]

i will save the beans for soup then.........had to take them off the plant as the frame fell down, canes snapped and onto next doors plot and didnt have anything i could re-mount them with

lesson learned for next year
podding tomorrow then

and yes i missed some, not didnt select them - runners are my faves, grew threw seperate lots, the last lot in the garden, will leave the bigguns on there to dry out instead so may still get freebies next year

thank you for all the replies

[DD.]

They look like giant acorns  
What were the parents ?

Pumpkins & marrows.

Allegedly.

[tode]

Tried eating em yet ?

[DD.]

These were plants I gave to someone else as trailing marrows, bit of an embarrassment really. He said they tasted fine.