Purple podded runner beans
Hi All!
This is not an advertising post for any gain, but a genuine desire to make other growers aware of a new variety of bean that I have bred over the last few years.
The runner beans are unique. They have been bred by me from a 'Polestar' cross I'm the chair and founder member of the Aeron Vale Allotment Society in Aberaeron, Ceredigion, Wales. These runners have been trialled for a few seasons and have been found to come 'true' by all triallers involved. I would now like to share this new bean variety with other amateur vegetable growers - especially allotment growers.
I've called the bean Aeron Purple Star. It is stringless. Pod length on average is between 12 & 14 inches at maturity. They are exceptionally vigorous & the plants grow to about 10 feet in height. The flower colour is scarlet. The flavour of the cooked beans exceeds that of it's familial parent Polestar (a previous RHS Award of Garden Merit winner).
The bean seeds are NOT sold commercially. Any allotment growers or veg. gardeners can have a quantity of the beans sent to them at this time for just the cost of carriage. To order beans please please go to:
http://aronvale-allotments.org.uk/purplerunnerbeans
Quantities are very limited. The maximum number available to any one grower is 24 beans this season. They are given out on a 'first come, first served' basis. They can be freely distributed by any amateur grower after saving seeds from their own harvest, the only stipulation made is that any beans 'gifted' or 'swapped' must retain the name AERON PURPLE STAR and must not be charged for.
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Very interesting BGL, shame I'm not in the UK, otherwise I would join your website. However, have bookmarked it, and will check it regularly. Particularly liked the composting info.
You're welcome Swiss Sue! If you grow runner beans in Switzerland then you're welcome to a handful of AERON PURPLE STAR bean seeds (assuming I'm allowed to send them to mainland Europe!).
Glad you enjoyed browsing my Aeron Vale Allotment Society web-site - did you check out the sister site - The Gardeners Chat Shed? If not then Google it when you have a minute.
Pleased to meet you here.
G.
Just an update for those who've been in touch with me requesting some free bean seeds.
The request page (http://aeronvale-allotments.org.uk/aeronpurplestar) for the beans has worked a treat. All the orders I've received are now neatly filed automatically on my computer from the on-line form.
To date I've received 42 requests for 762 beans (up till today). They're still trickling in & the good news is I've got enough beans harvested to cover the requests (so far).
I'll be starting to send them out in the next couple of weeks.
I too have purple-podded runner beans. They have been bred from a Liberty cross which I started in 1990. It produces scarlet flowers and sweet tasting, string less pods averaging 12 inches in length. There are 6 seeds per pod and the unique feature of these runners is that they produce seeds that are totally black.
v.
I REALLY apologise for not responding sooner to your post vas koritsas.
As you can imagine I'm hugely interested in what you have to say about your purple podded runner beans. The Aeron Purple Star is a Polestar cross that I've developed. As the purple podded bean that you have has very similar characteristics I would love to 'hook up' with you on the subject.
If you go to http://aeronvale-allotments.org.uk and use the contact form on there I will e-mail you back & perhaps we can compare ntes? I would also be more than willing to swap beans with you for comparison.
I hope you pick up on this post.
G.
Sorry for not getting back to you sooner. My runner beans are still producing black seeds, but have stopped producing uniform purple pods. The developing pods start off green and then they lay down the purple as the pod gets bigger. However, green areas remain in the pods.
Maybe we can exchange seeds and try and cross the plants to see if we can develop a purple-podded, black seeded runner bean?
Regards,
V
Me too - I'm very also very sorry for the lateness of my response. It's a long story but the last few months have not been easy.
I'd be delighted to swap some bean seeds with you vas koritas. You can either PM me with your e-mail & postal addresses or if you prefer go to my website at:
http://aeronvale-allotments.org.uk
and use the 'Contact' feature on there.
All the best,
G.
A long time ago now but just wondered how you are getting on with your purple podded runner beans? I also have a purple podded runner. Can't claim to breeding it as 1 plant turned up in a tray I puchased 2 years ago from someone selling surplus veg plants at their front gate in a village near Well in Somerset..... I saved seeds from the whole crop green and purple podded and have 2 plants this year... sounds similar pods start green and then change to dark purple..... Dark but not completely black seeds I think. It may have originated from your distrubution of AERON PURPLE STAR. In any case it is vigourous, large beans, stringless very sweet juicy and delicious! This year I plan to save seed from those plants separatley..... Good on you for sharing the seed FOC. G