Yay :)))). Maybe I will try those beans!

Are you cooking your peas as shellies, snaps, or a mixture?

Rattlesnake beans tend to put out thick/meaty pods and make a good snap bean.

They make a good shell/dry bean, too.

They grow well in hot/humid climates when other beans give up. The only real drawback to them is they take a week or 2 longer to flower and mature compared to other snap beans.

We cooked them as snap beans, making sure to remove the strings.

Yes, it's unfortunate they take awhile to mature, or we'd be planting more right now. Heated the remainder for lunch, and they were as good as yesterday's.

Only garden pest encountered were what looked like small, yellow bugs (cuke beetle larvae?) on leaves' undersides.

Next, we'll try blanching, vacuum sealing & freezing, and also pressure canning to see which method seems to work best for preserving flavor.

Glad to see they're well appreciated elsewhere. We'll be dropping the red rippers and crowders in lieu of more rattlesnakes, dixie butters and black eyes next season for sure.

My son moved to Alabama from Ohio and is trying to garden. Gardening there is quite different from Ohio so when he asks me for advice on what to plant I'm never quite sure what would work for him. Would these beans work well for his climate, do you think?

Thanks,
Edie

@SoPea;
The small yellow bugs on the undersides of the bean leaves are probably mexican bean beetle larvae. They will demolish the leaves if left unchecked. If there's not too many you can just squash them. A large infestation will need spraying.

I agree about the rattlesnake beans. This is our first year growing them and they are out-performing every other bean! Definitely a keeper. Although we don't get the heat you get down south, it was a very wet, humid summer for us and the rattlesnakes seemed to love it.

I was not attempting to experiment, but I did.

I had a real nice tulip bed near the vegetable garden. I decided to expand the veggies and that meant digging up the tulips. Done.

Since I still had the seeds, I planted Blue Lake Bush Beans where the tulips were! Good grief, what a wonderful crop. Never, ever have we had so many good straight beans. I pick every day and eat some and freeze the rest.

I should plant more tulips so that I can dig them up and plant more beans!

Jim

Jim,

Glad to hear of your tulip bed success.

How's the flavor of those Blue Lakes?

Jim,

Glad to hear of your tulip bed success.

How's the flavor of those Blue Lakes?

Edie,

I'd think Alabama would be gardening heaven. Long growing season and plenty of rain I imagine.

Suggest that your son make acquaintance with local gardeners and ask them for advice. I've cultivated a few friendships and learned a great deal just by stopping by someone's garden while out in the car. Common hobbies, as you know, are a great conversation starter. And it doesn't hurt when you offer to help with the weeding while chatting.

There might be a "gardening in Alabama, or southeast" board here, check it out! Nancy