Borlotto Beans confusion

[Jacqui]

Hi Charles
I have grown Borlotto Beans for the first time this year but the dried beans do not look like those I have seen in the shops.
The first variety I sowed were Chase Organics Borlotto Lingua di Fuco but these did not grow up the sticks although described as a climbing bean. The beans are on the right in the photo. From 6 plants I only picked about a handful.
The second variety I grew later were Franchi Fagiolo Rampicante Borlotto lamon. They grew up sticks but again I harvested less than a handful and the beans seen pale. These are on the left in the photo.

They were grown near French bean Blauhilde , Runner Bean Czar and Runner Bean Firestorm, could this have been the problem with cross fertilisation. Bluahilde produced a plentiful crop from just 6 plants but again Czar was poor.

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[Stringfellow]

This is frustrating for you Jacqui. I can’t add much, but I grew borlotti and czar on the same wigwam and had no issue with cross pollination. Something I noticed was how much earlier the borlottis finished their life cycle than the czar. All of their pods were crisp and dry when we harvested the lot last weekend, the czar much less so with quite a few still green.

[charles]

Jacqui that is frustrating about the mislabelled seed packet.
Sorry about your poor yields, sounds like you need more compost mulch.
Tjose beans look fine, they darken with age so will change colour.
As Stringfellow says, they don’t cross pollinate.
We picked the last ones yesterday and there were more unripe Czar than Borlotti, good to eat first.

[al]

Hi everyone
Many of my Czar pods are still not dry as mentioned above so presumably there is a risk of frost damage if I leave it much longer to harvest so shoulld I bring them in now?
Thanks for advice
Alastair

[Stringfellow]

I would Al, they aren’t going to gain much in the way of growth now. Ours have dried off nicely, sat between stove and radiator for the last week or so. We just give the tray a shake each time we pass to release trapped moisture etc.

[al]

Thanks Stringfellow will do
Alastair

[Author]

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