Collecting my Bean Seeds

I must admit that I'm not a 'super keen' seed saver. Well, maybe I should say that it's not that I'm not 'super keen', but rather 'super unorganized'. It's true that there aren't many occasions when I don't come back from a stroll through the garden without some bit of seed in my pockets. Occasionally, they even make it to the washing machine because I've completely forgotten that I had a pocketful of nasturtium seeds! Oops! I refuse to admit just how many times I've done that, but let's just say, it happens more often that I would like! :)



Now that we've had a few light frosts and one hard frost, I've begun collecting the seeds of my pole beans. This year we grew 4 varieties - Purple Podded Pole, Emerite, Fortex and Lazy Housewife.. Having just been up in the garden planting another 100 cloves of garlic and moving around a few kale babies, I took a quick peek at the drying bean vines still clinging to the A-frame trellis and decided to collect a few handfuls of the Purple Podded Pole since the pods were crisp and dry in the warm autumn weather. Here are some photos:

They've lost their distinctive purple colour,
but these dried pods are ready to harvest.

If they're still pliable or succulent, leave them
another week or two. The best quality mature
seeds come from comepletely dried pods. 

The dried pods pop open when you run your finger
down the seam. Careful, or the beans will spill out.

Each Purple Podded Pole bean has about 7 to 10
seeds.

A handful from 3 beans - enough for about 25 plants
next year!! The seed from about 20 beans will yield
more than enough for our garden as well as extra to share.