(P. vulgaris) In the city of Tarbes, at the foot of the Pyrenees in southwest France, a cooperative of growers produces one of the most renowned white beans in Europe. The variety is called Alaric (named for a local canal), and the purpose is singular: Cassoulet. Alaric holds the unusual distinction of being a bean used to lighten the meal up! Cassoulet is truly a rich and fatty affair for the winter months, traditionally full of pork, duck fat, and sausages, slow-cooked for hours, and the beans excel in this role: some softening to thicken the stock and some retaining their shape and texture despite their nearly non-existent skin. The name and production are protected by the French government with the Label Rouge (similar to other protected products like Champagne and Roquefort), meaning that any bean carrying the name “Tarbais” must come from the cooperative. We’re calling ours by the variety name, Alaric, Washington grown and slowly adapting from the original French stock to its new home at our farm. Vigorous vines grow to 7+’ and set wide, flat pods filled with large, pure white beans. For a white bean, we found them fairly resilient to wet weather around harvest time. 100 days. UO
Packet: 40 seeds
Product Code:BEA-TA-pkt
Availability:In stock
Translation missing: en.products.general.options
Translation missing: en.products.general.qty
Translation missing: en.products.general.qty
$4.50
$12.00
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Direct seed after the last frost date when the soil has warmed.
Note: Beans prefer well-drained, warm soil.
PLANTING DEPTH:
1"
SPACING:
3-5" between plants with 12-24" between rows*
*Pole beans require 5+' between rows.
EMERGENCE:
5-10 days @ soil temp 65-90F
LIGHT:
Full sun to part shade
FERTILITY:
Light to Moderate. Beans can produce their own usable nitrogen from atmospheric nitrogen through a symbiotic relationship with bacteria that colonize specialized nodules in their roots. Too much soil fertility can cause excessive vegetative growth at the expense of pod set and maturity. Beans prefer well-drained, warm soil with a pH between 6.0-7.0.
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
Beans prefer warm soils and may rot at lower temperatures. This is particularly true for white-seeded varieties. You love beans. Patience.
It can be quite beneficial to mix bean seeds with commercially available bacterial "inoculants" to encourage the beneficial symbiotic relationship in the growing plant's root nodules, especially if growing on ground that hasn't been planted with beans before. This can increase yields and improve plant health.
Avoid picking/weeding beans when the plants are wet. This will help prevent the spread of disease.
Provide a trellis for pole beans.
White-seeded varieties are more susceptible to rot when seeded in cool, wet, early-season conditions.
Sow Snap Beans every few weeks for continued harvests.
Harvest dry beans when the pods are brown and dry.
