(P. vulgaris) Gialèt, also known as "Fasol Biso" and "Solferino," has been grown in the Val Belluna of Northern Italy since the early 20th century. This area of the Veneto, in the foothills of the Dolomites, is significant as one of the first places in Italy where beans were seriously grown on account of humanist and scholar Pierio Valeriano, who in 1532 is said to have brought a sack of beans from the Papal court of Clemente VII to his home in Belluno for cultivation. According to a paper* in the journal Diversity, "Valeriano described in a short poem in Latin entitled ‘De MilacisCultura’, the cultivation technique, the plant and seed morphology, and the supposed therapeutic properties of bean seeds. The diffusion of common bean in the Veneto region occurred quickly and still today the cultivation of this pulse has a great economic relevance in Belluno province."
Gialèt beans are a beautiful yellow-green color, plump and productive on tall vines. They yield a very thin-skinned and tender bean with a melting texture, fantastic for soups where a portion of the bean can be mashed to thicken and enrich the broth, or perfect for simple preparations, boiled with onion, garlic, and salt and dressed with a high-quality olive oil. In contrast to the majority of the history of beans in Italian culinary history which largely relegated them to "peasant food", Gialèt was historically considered food for the affluent classes. Indeed, the description on the Italian packaging tells us that these are "usually reserved for important luncheons". Do with that what you may...redefine important, reimagine, and retell stories. 100-105 days. UO
Packet: 40 seeds
*"Italian Common Bean Landraces: History, Genetic Diversity, and Seed Quality" by Angela Piergiovanni and Lucia Lioi. Diversity 2010
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.
