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Blue Lake FM-1K Pole Green Bean

Blue Lake FM-1K Pole Green Bean

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Blue Lake FM-1K

66 Days — Food production here in the fertile soils of the Willamette Valley was once one of a primary industry of Oregon. Bred for canning and fresh-frozen packaging, Blue Lake beans were one of the preferred classes of green beans until the cost to hand pick soared and the invention of mechanical harvesters changed planting trends to bush-type beans.

'Blue Lake FM-1K', also known as 'Stringless Blue Lake FM-1K', is one of many in a series of Blue Lake-type beans that were introduced in the middle of the twentieth century. Its pods are stringless when young and tender, dark green in color, round in cross section, tasty, reach about six inches in length, and have white seeds. They can be enjoyed fresh as snap or shell beans, canned, frozen or dried. The plants are vigorous, climb well, and are productive. It is a BCMV resistant strain.

Bred by the Ferry-Morse Seed Company of Mountain View, California, 'Stringless Blue Lake FM-1K', was selected from a stabilized cross between their 'Morse’s Pole 65' pole bean and standard Blue Lake-type beans and introduced in 1959. About 95 seeds per ounce.
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Planting Instructions: Beans prefer well-drained, rich soil in a sunny location. Make sure that you keep them well watered in the summer heat.

Don’t bother trying to get an early start with beans – you’ll waste a lot of seed! Beans are a tender vegetable and you should not plant them until all danger of frost has passed and the soil remains above 65ºF. Sow seeds 1½ inches deep, every two to three inches. As they make efficient use of vertical space, provide a trellis. Use string or twine as wire will heat and burn the tender vines.

Pick the pods while young as they are more tender and succulent and less likely to be stringy. For seed saving, allow the pods to fully mature and dry completely out on the vines. Although the name or description of this variety refers to a modern company's name, the seed we are offering is in no way sourced from, "owned by" or connected with that company. The name is simply the historically accurate, common name for the variety giving credit to the seedsmen that originally released it.
Informational References:
  1. "Vegetable Cultivar Descriptions for North America – Bean, Green (A-M), Lists 1-27 Combined," Edited by James Nienhuis and Michell E. Sass,  Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 and James R. Myers,  Department of Horticulture, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-7304.