San Bernardo Blue bean
$4.00
(Phaseolus vulgaris)
Pole 8’/2.6 m tall. Blue beans! They actually come in an interesting range of shades, from a pale gray/slate blue to a deep royal blue. Apparently the colour depends on the temperature while the seeds are growing; hotter weather makes them grayer, while cooler weather makes them bluer. All of them darken as they age, like most beans. We found that we got good blue colour by growing them in a location where they were shaded in the late afternoon by trees growing to the west of the garden.
Note: we acquired this variety from the Experimental Farm Network under the name ‘Nonna Agnes’s Blue bean.’ However, EFN did more research and renamed it ‘San Bernardo’ after the town in northern Italy where it originates. We will use the updated name, but want to clarify that both names have been used for this variety.
30 seeds/packet.
Out of stock
Plant after last frost; soil must be warm or seed will rot. If growing on corn, wait to plant until corn is about 3” tall, or two weeks after corn is planted. Sow 1” deep. Space bush beans 2-4” apart. Pick dry beans when pods are fully dry; seed must be dry enough to not dent with a fingernail for storage. Dry beans can be further dried on a tarp, then threshed by dancing on them and winnowing away the chaff.