Bean crossings

[kitty12345]

I planted dwarf borlotti in a row, and had a leftover Cherokee trail of tears and for no reason other than not knowing where to put it, I put it at the end of the borlotti row.

Upon shelling the seeds of the sole Cherokee plant, I noticed that although it had purple pods the beans inside were of the borlotti pattern in cream but with black patterns! How interesting. I am so intrigued and can't wait to sow them next year

Does anyone have interesting bean or plant crossings to share? I'd love to hear your stories.

[Scarlet]

A cross pollinated plant shouldn’t show any signs of cross until the second generation ( so if it crossed this summer you shouldn’t tell until you grew it on next year) ...so where did you get that seed from? What was it growing next to last year?

French beans are generally inbreeders...they self pollinate but occasionally they throw up a rogue.

I’m sure Sparrow had a similar experience a couple of years ago.

Would be lovely to see some photos.

Here’s the thread I was thinking about:

https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...ths_91071.html

[kitty12345]

Thanks Scarlet.

The CToT is from Real Seeds, I bought them last year and never got round to growing them. This was the first year I had grown them.

The dwarf borlotti is from my own saved seed from last year.

Given that the crossing happened on the CToT plant (purple pods but cream beans with black markings) I can't really work out why the bean looks different if it is only meant to show the difference next year?

Pics comings once it brightens up... looks like a dull day today

PS I think I am definitely a bean nerd... love them shiny things in lots of different colours and patterns!

[Scarlet]

Would love to see some photos....I’m also a bean nerd but have had a rubbish year due to lack of water

Sometimes the bean colours can be reversed, and you can occasionally get a rogue one.
Would be lovely to see a photo.

[kitty12345]

Its not letting me attach a photo is it because I'm a newbie?

[Scarlet]

No - it’s probably because the photo is too big?

Are you using a phone? If so use the crop function with the edit tool - side and top and it should load up fine.

[kitty12345]

Done! Not the best pics but I had to resize them... Hopefully in the second pic the difference between the cranberry and black colours are more obvious.

[Scarlet]

It looks more like a Borlotti bean? They don't always come in a uniform colour and if you grew them last year it could have crossed with something to make the markings darker.
Are you sure it came from the Tof T?
I'd still have to plant them next year to see what you get....

This is also worth a read
https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...ans_82414.html

[kitty12345]

Yes definitely from CToT as it was climbing rather than dwarf and so was trying to wrap itself around anything it could find. Also the pods were purple while the borlotti was red...

I will be growing them next year to see what happens... hopefully something interesting!

[Scarlet]

But could it have been a Borlotti that crossed last year?

[Mark_Riga]

Someimes some dwarf borlotti can grow quite tall.

[kitty12345]

Scarlet I think you have it!! I held the pod to sunlight and can see the borlotti pattern through the purple pod

Great detective work. Means it must have crossed last year, strange though as both neighbouring plots don't grow french beans but the plot in front of me does...