Borlotto, or cranberry beans (as they are known in the US) are a staple of northern Italian cuisine, and none is prized more than the famed Borlotto Lamon of the Veneto. For years Anthony and Carol Boutard of Ayers Creek Farm in Gaston Oregon have been selecting from the Italian stock for a Pacific Northwest adapted strain of this treasure with refined culinary qualities and a concentrated harvest period more suitable for commercial production on their farm. They renamed it to both reflect its new home and give a nod to its roots. In his book, Beautiful Corn, Anthony describes the Gaston (Lamon): "There are several reasons why this variety is not more available commercially. Pole beans cost more to grow, and the Lamon must be handpicked and has just three or four (HUGE!) beans per pod compared to the usual five to seven. It also ripens late, splits in the rain,.. Mere details, considering that it is perfect, the most glorious of the cranberry beans. We cannot imagine winter without it".
If you are like me, that is a perfect invitation for the stubbornly defiant grower! These are also a delicious shelly bean that we've managed to grow with absolute success (through the dry stage) up north, so if your season starts looking like it might be shorter then you thought, simply pick, freeze and dream of delightful winter meals.
100-105 days. UO

Packet: 40 seeds

[split]

Growing Info

SOWING:

Direct seed after the last frost date when the soil has warmed.

Pole beans produce over a long season so multiple sowings are unnecessary.

Note: Beans prefer well-drained soil.

PLANTING DEPTH:

SPACING:

4-6 seeds per linear foot in rows 12" apart. Depending on your trellis system, you may also sow 4-6 seeds around each pole.

EMERGENCE:

5-10 days @ soil temp 65-90F

LIGHT:

Full sun to part shade

FERTILITY:

Low to average. 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.

To increase yields in areas where beans have not previously been grown, use an inoculant to introduce rhizobia bacteria into the soil.

Pole beans require trellising, fencing, or poles!

Allow pods to dry on plant and pick often.

Translation missing: en.products.general.options	Translation missing: en.products.general.qty	Translation missing: en.products.general.qty
Pkt		$3.85
1/2 lb	Out of stock	$12.00
1 lb	Out of stock	$18.00

Bean, Pole Dry, 'Borlotto Gaston'