Cool nights make for rejuvenated beans

I have two types of limas in the garden again this year:
Henderson, a bush type that yields “baby” limas
Christmas, a vine/pole type that yields very large cream colored beans with burgundy variegation.

The drought took its toll on both of these this year- the heat really moved in before the well was hooked up. The “Christmas” plants really didn’t flower much after the first wave in late July and sadly there are no beans if there are no flowers. I let the soil stay too dry and the plants stressed in the heat. Shoulda woulda coulda but in the end I was too cheap to put city water on them with the well so close to coming online.

The good news is the well came online just in time to salvage them, plus the 7 inches of rain dumped on us 10 days ago replenished the moisture in the clay base under everything. Lower night time temperatures finished the formula and both types have taken off again.

The second “Henderson” crop is beginning to come online now and it appears that an additional flush of blooms will extend the harvest into early October:

It is an understatement to say the “Christmas” vines look healthier; they have actually gone the kudzu route in the last 10 days.

The interior trellis (with turnip greens popping up at the base):

And the fence trellis.

From the inside:

From the outside:

My neighbors who use the alley are showing a great deal of patience. 🙂 They can still get by without sweeping the vines.
The bamboo leaning against the fence was an OK trellising idea, but in order to really get in, locate, and pick beans I have to stick my whole upper body up into the canopy. When it was 100 degrees this wasn’t much fun. The leaves are “hairy” and stick to any piece of clothing they come in contact with; on skin they aren’t too terribly bad but they really aren’t comfortable either. ( The vines themselves amazingly seem to be void of all bugs and related creepy crawlies.)

When I inspected tonight I got in pretty deep; fortunately the cooler temperatures make a huge difference. So much so, I believe Mrs cohutt will be eager to get a ladder soon and start daily harvesting swims through the vines.

heh…..