Beans — Jacob's Cattle Bean Heirloom Organic

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CERTIFIED ORGANIC! The precise origins of this beautiful, ancient heirloom bean are not known, but it is listed as Trout in some histories, possibly after Virginian Jacob Trout. The plump, oblong beans are creamy white, and speckled with deep burgundy. The markings darken to almost coffee brown as the seeds age. During the summer, Jacob's Cattle Bean makes quite a nice snap bean, before the seeds mature. By the end of the season, the prolific bush plants produce masses of pods that are easy and fun to harvest for winter storage. The tasty beans cook in about half the time as other dry beans. It is also known by the colourful names Coach Dog, Dalmation, and Anasazi.

Matures in 90 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

Quick Facts:

Bush bean
Ancient heirloom
Truly beautiful beans
Edible as snap beans
Matures in 90 days

Size: 15g (approx. 34 seeds)

How To Grow: Dry beans are an ecologically sound foodstuff in today’s world. Being a bean, they produce at least part of their own nitrogen supply with the help of symbiotic bacteria, which live in the soil. Dry beans are one of the easiest crops to produce organically. Dry beans are an excellent source of protein when combined with whole grains, nuts or small amounts of poultry or fish. Dried beans also contain fibre and minerals (remember to discard the soaking and cooking water to reduce flatulence). Continue reading below for to learn how to grow dry beans from seed.

Difficulty
Easy

Season & Zone
Season: Warm season.
Exposure: Full-sun.

Timing
Sow as early as possible for dry beans, in late spring, once the soil warms up a bit so plants can mature before wet weather sets in. Optimal soil temperature: 21-32°C (70-90°F).

Starting
Sow seeds 2-5cm (1-2″) deep, 5-8cm (2-3″) apart, in rows 45-60cm (18-24″) apart. Thin to at least 15cm (6″) apart in each row. If the weather is too wet, beans can also be started in pots indoors and set out carefully a few weeks later. Seeds will sprout in 8-16 days, depending on conditions.

Growing
Ideal pH: 6.0-6.5. Well drained, warm soil in full sun is best. Raised beds help with both drainage and warmth. Use 1 cup of complete organic fertilizer for every 3m (10′) of row. Too much nitrogen in fertilizer or manure may cause poor pod set and delayed maturity. If beans flower but do not set pods, the cause can be zinc deficiency. Try spraying the plants with kelp based fertilizer. Wet leaves on crowded plants are subject to diseases. Thin plants to increase air circulation and avoid touching the leaves while they are wet.

Harvest
Stop all watering when the first pods start drying out. Harvest when the seedpods are straw coloured. Pull the plants up by the roots and hang to dry. To shell the beans bash them back and forth inside a bag or pillowcase. Or shell them individually by hand. Do not pick until pods are dry. The beans themselves can then be set somewhere out of direct sunlight, where air movement is good, for a further week to insure even dryness.

Diseases & Pests
Cutworms and root maggots can attack seeds and seedlings. Allowing for good air circulation between plants, and taking care not to over fertilize can slow foliar disease, both fungal and bacterial. When thinning your seedlings try to keep enough space in between for air circulation to reduce disease incidence.

Companion Planting
Beans fix nitrogen in the soil. Plant with Brassicas, carrots, celery, chard, corn, cucumber, eggplant, peas, potatoes, radish, and strawberries. Avoid planting near chives, garlic, leeks, and onions. Pole beans and beets stunt each other’s growth.

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