One of the pods selected for seed saving
One of the most exciting events of this years growing season was when the Czar Runner Bean seeds I saved last year germinated and grew strong plants. Later in the season my excitement knew no bounds when I saw the first flower and the sense of achievement I felt when I spotted the first tiny runner bean was huge. With the plants at their healthiest, some of those first runner beans were left on the plants to ripen and form the seed for next seasons bean crop.
Another seed pod is growing along the back fence and looks to be the best of the bunch:
For the last few weeks I have checked these pods diligently, checking for signs of rot or blemishes which may affect the seeds developing inside. Then last week I noticed that one of the seed pods was beginning to dry out which meant that the seeds inside would soon be ready for harvesting. The pod on the back fence is still vibrant green though and you can see the swellings which hint at lovely big seeds inside:
Finally, with the first pod casing fully dry and feeling like old, dried paper, I picked the first of the seed pods today (Monday 1st September) and removed the seeds. These will now be left to fully dry out on a saucer in the kitchen before being stored in a paper envelope:
