Grandma Nellie’s Mushroom Pole Bean Seeds

A bean of Russian origin, preserved in Saskatchewan since 1952 by Nellie Chernoff and then by Nellie’s granddaughter. I planted this seed directly in the ground in a last minute decision in 2022, as I typically use bean transplants. And I’m glad I did, because I was able to see the remarkable early maturity of this yellow wax bean. Not only did it produce buckets of beans, but it did so in a slightly shaded location. Then it dried up all its pods in no time. I was seriously impressed with its performance. The original beans I purchased were not smooth and full, but rather slightly deflated looking and I’m not sure if this is genetic or if the seeds are very sensitive to hydration stress. The dried beans I collected had the same slightly wrinkled, deflated look which surprised me. The colour is a nice dark walnut, but the seeds are nothing to write home about. Great bean variety, especially for the North.