These are eating beans, right?

Long Beach, CA(Zone 10b)

At the back of the corn & sunflower bed, I had a volunteer come up and once it got its second set of leaves, I recognized it as some sort of bean bush. The neighbor boys were shooting beans with slingshots a few months ago (that is another story!) and I figured that this was one of their beans. The leaves look speckled but that could be because I haven't fed them and they get very little sunlight under 10 foot corn and sunflowers. It is maybe 2 1/2 feet high.

Now they were mostly dry beans- a white kind and pinto. So this is one or the other I imagine. So do I pick these pods now and make normal green beans (with vinegar and bacon- yum) or do I let them get bigger and dry them? I have only grown peas and vine beans before.

Thumbnail by daisyavenue
Long Beach, CA(Zone 10b)

This is the top of the bush:

Thumbnail by daisyavenue
Fritch, TX(Zone 6b)

I would guess it depends on when the corn is coming down. I would probably pick them now, and leave a few to dry, they look very good and healthy. Beans do well with corn, you know...

Baker City, OR(Zone 5b)

I think the beans are too mature already to eat like green beans so I would leave them and pick the pods when they get dry, shell them out and then either cook and eat them or save the seeds and plant them in the sun next year. From the looks of the leaves I would say that the plant already thinks it has done it's thing and is putting all energy into maturing those seeds, so it is too late to do anything to revive the plant. Boys shooting beans, funny story. Post another picture when you shell the beans out and show us your harvest.

Long Beach, CA(Zone 10b)

I have never dried beans! This should be fun!

Fritch, TX(Zone 6b)

Wow, what an experiment. Maybe next year you could supply those boy with beans, so you know what is growing LOL. Let us know how this turns out...

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