Chinese Long Beans

I have never tried these but I just ordered seeds at Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. I ordered three varieties. I got Red-Seeded Asparagus Bean, Chinese Green Noodle Bean and Chinese Red Noodle Bean. I also got Scarlet Runner Beans which I sometimes plant just because I think they are pretty. I usually grow green beans (pole beans) and this year will have Blue Lake but honestly, I am so ready to try the Long Beans!

We tried what were called "Yard Long Beans" last year and it produced a huge, huge, crop of beans that we thought tasted terrible. We tried them in different ways a few times and gave up and tore them out.

I do hope yours turn out better, and that you enjoy the taste. If that happens, be sure and post the variety.

Ernie

I used to grow scarlet runners on a teepee kind of a trellis. The trellis reached 14 feet high. The beans got to the top and still tried to reach for the clouds. They didn't taste that great, though. However, the plants were very impressive.

Sylvain.

I don't eat the Scarlett runner beans. I just grow them for the pretty flowers. I am not sure what Yard Long Beans are. But these that I ordered had good customer reviews at Baker Creek. All three supposed to taste great.

That was the name on the package, but they were only about 18 or 20 inches long, and they were very prolific. Healthy vines, no pests, but just did not taste like green beans. I do not remember which seed company or nursery i got them from, but i have seen them in the seed displays since.

Ernie

Rita,
I googled "yard long beans" and that is just another name for Chinese Long Beans. I did not open the other sites listed, but there were a lot of recipes on how to cook them so apparently some people do enjoy them.

Ernie

Oh ok, thanks. I am new to this so didn't know they are the same thing. I can't wait until I have some to try a taste test!

Let us know how you like them. Kind of hazy on the taste, but it seems like they were mushy, too. But i do recall we were expecting something like fresh green beans and did not get that, so we gave up on them, instead of trying different ways to make them palatable.

Ernie

I love stir fly veggies and was planning on trying them that way.

That should be a good test for them. I just do not remember the different ways Linda fixed them before we gave up. But for sure, only a few plants will give you an abundant supply. The ones i had were very heavy producers.

Ernie

That's almost all I grow, they don't seem to be as bothered by pests such as Spider Mites as much as pole beans. We don't let them get that long and usually we eat them raw just like pole or bush beans. They do like the heat so you may want to wait to sow them.

My youngest son loves them so much that they never got a chance to get big.

My seeds came at last. I haven't opened any of the bean packets but I can already tell just by feeling the package that the seeds of these beans are so much smaller than the regular bean seeds I am used to. I am thinking I might have to start them inside as the beans I start inside have been sprouting in afew days while ones I planted direct sow outside way last week (scarlett runners) have not even begone to come up.

What are your temps? I just sowed a few and they were up in a couple of days.

It is nice during the day but still going down to the 50's at night. It is the night temps that I am worried about. If the scarlett runner beans are not coming up because it is too cool then these heat lovers certainly need more warmth.

I agree with you, that's why I grow them here because they thrive in the heat. It doesn't matter how hot it gets.

However, I have been in your area during the summer and I thought I was going to die of the heat or at least suffocate. Talk about humidity.

SRB are slow to germinate for me; I'd give them time.

Hi, I grow yard long beans every year. They are wonderful for stir frying and we also use them in a lot of soups. They love heat, produce like crazy and do not taste like traditional green beans. It only takes about 8 of them to make a serving for two. This is one of my favorite things to grow. Have fun, they are really unusual looking and a great conversation starter. :)

It is plenty hot and humid too here during the summer so I am not worried about the Long Beans not growing. I am sure that they will do just fine. Simply concerned with starting them. I have decided I will start them inside and that way I don't have to worry about it.

I've not tried starting them inside,I'm not sure how happy they will be with being transplanted, but you can try. Let us know how that goes.

I just wait until the weather is really warm and direct seed. You can grow them in pots with trellises but I get more beans when they are in the ground.

No problem transplanting. I just start my beans in cellpacks and then just plop them in the ground. Works all the time for my pole beans.

I just planted all the bean seeds and now I just need to wait for them to grow.

I usually just germinate them in a baggie or a little potting soil and as soon as they germinate I stick them in the ground. I think its a good idea that you are starting them early. They may not produce well until your temps get high but by then your plants will be good size and you should get a great yield.

Pugs-you have a much longer growing season then Rita does and yes, it gets very hot and stays that way for along time. lol

Rita-were you looking for an Asian Cucumber on another thread? Ive had GREAT luck with Chinese Yellow, Thai Green,
Thai Special and Poona Kherra (India with DTM of only 55 days) I got mine at Baker Creek, www.rareseeds.com. I also have some Japanese Long that were a gift I havent tried them yet, I may not have room this year. You are way ahead of me and Im 1 1/2 a head of you, thought it would be more actually. lol Im obsessed with tomatoes but i told myself that Im getting the seeds in dirt today! They cant grow unless they are in dirt! And it only takes a second. ARGH... I would also recommend Thai pumpkins they do great here. You would have to get them sown soon tho for them to have time to mature before a freeze.

I expect they will produce great because like I said it gets hot and humid here in the summer. Just now it has been cooler than normal at night or maybe I am just more aware of the lower temps at night because I started all my bean seeds.

Last night I did put in an order at GourmetSeed.com and today they already sent me an e-mail that they have shipped. So I should have those seeds early next week, maybe even Tuesday. I bought Chinese Long Cucumbers and also Tortarello Abruzzesse cucumbers otherwise known as Armenian Melon Cucumbers. Also some brocoli raab seeds and various peas (that I will save for my fall crop).

Somehow when I put in my order for Long Beans at Baker Creek, I wasn't yet interested in asian cucumbers. Since then I Have been looking both there at Baker Creek and at Kitazawa. But not sure that I will get more or not as I might be good just with what I have. But the choices are so many one doesn't know what to choose. So I appreciate the advice on which are really good ones! Thanks!

I have harvested Long Beans all week and today I finally cooked them.
I am growing them for the first year: red-seeded asparagus bean and Chinese red noodle bean.
I cut them 4" long and boiled in salty water for 15 minutes. Salt+pepper+olive oil and they are so good ... I never had such delicious beans and ...we grow a lot of them in Italy.
What it was so cool is that the red pods turned BLACK ... you should have seen my DH face ... giggle ... soooooo good !

I am growing the long beans by a wood fence. I just attached some netting I bought at Lowe's. That area doesn't get water by the soaker hose ... poor soil and it is totally forgotten ... those beans must be very thought !!

Wow, look at those pods! They look so good. I can't wait to try em. But I just planted my seeds yesterday so it is gonna be a while for me ha-ha!

I have read people complain about the taste that they don't taste like string beans. Seems to me different is fine. They sound yummy!

Rita-I we eat them raw well my youngest son does because he gets to them first and they taste alot like regular beans to me. But I think people taste things differently.

They are starting to come up already! The Red Noodles are the most up and the Green Noodles the least up. But all three kinds are breaking ground.

So are mine! Its amazing. I soaked them then stuck them in the ground, they are already up. I sowed them so late because I couldnt figure out where I should put them. I didnt want them to block the sun. I really enjoy hearing about them growing in 2 such different locations. I am surprised that you are only 1 1/2 zones lower then we are. Good Luck with yours!

I didn't even soak mine. Just planted them and kept them moist. But I only planted them on the 25th and today is only the 28th. So I think they are popping up really quickly.

Meantime, those Scarlett Runners I meantioned on the posting of the 25th still have not shown up. I am afraid they might have rotted. I do have more seeds but don't know if I should wait or just resow already.

Rita,
I was not complaing about how long beans taste. I was just stating that I did not like either the taste or the consistency so i tore them out. But that was not a complaint, that was an opinion.

Ernie

No problem. I don't expect everyone to be the same. I am convinced I will really like them but then again, I could be wrong.

Just like Malabar spinach some of us love it and some don't. That's what makes life interesting.

These things are popping up like mad. In fact all my beans have been growing like crazy. It has turned hot and humid yesterday and today and the beans are loving it. The Blue Lake Pole beans are shooting up like crazy, they seem to grow an inch or two a day. The Spanish Musaca are catching up to them quickly (planted later) and I figgure those yard long beans are not gonna waste any time trying to outdo the others. Now, my yard longs are very small but I notice their first set of leaves are thiner and pointier than on the Blue Lake. I am enjoying watching the growing show!

The Long Beans came up very quickly when I planted them. But since then they haven't done much of anything and just look like they are just sitting there. Leaves all nice and dark green though. The weather has turned cooler so I am thinking maybe they are waiting for warmer weather to really start growing.

They really need warm weather. All the research I've done on them says that. If your soil was warm enough to get them to germinate I'm sure they'll be fine once the temps go back up. I planted 2 varieties 1 germinated at almost 100% the other didn't but now I don't know which is which. The color of the beans is a little different I hope I guess correctly, as soon as I reseed the first batch will sprout.

Well, been waiting for flowers (and waiting and waiting). Finially the Asparagus Bean started flowering so hopefully the others will start also.

The SPANISH MUSICA beans have been flowering already for a long time and have small beans on them so these guys better hurry up ha-ha.

They really thrive in the heat. I'm growing 2 different types. One had 100% germination the other one was much less but since I can't tell which is which I can't reseed them. The one is starting to bloom and has little long beans, maybe now I'll see which is which and can sow more seeds.

These, the Malabar Spinach (which sell sowed), and Thai Red Roselle are going crazy in the heat, which has not been that bad this year.

Lately it has been hot. Not as hot as down south but still plenty hot enough for me.

Hurray, another of the varieties of Long Beans is flowering. The hotter it is the more these beans seem to like it!

Well I was able to pick the first few of the Long Beans today. First ones! Got three from the Asparagus Bean. Longest 22 inches, then 20 inches, then 18 inches. I need more! I want to stir fry. I tasted a piece raw and I loved the flavor. Yumm!

yes they are so good.
The green asparagus beans produce at least 1/3 of the red chinese beans and the red thai beans.