I am noticing that some of my Fortex beans are fatter and are showing purple splotches, more like the Pelandron bush beans I also grow every year. I'm wondering whether there has been some cross-pollination going on, since I grew them from saved seeds. Anyone else have this happen?
Beans Hybridizing?
Interesting... I'm sure they could have crossed if they bloomed at the same time... how do they taste? :-)
Not that different from the usual Fortex taste, but then Pelandron doesn't have a particularly distinctive taste; it's just nice and beany but so is Fortex.
They do bloom at the same time. Maybe I should plant them at wider intervals but both keep producing so at some point during the summer they'd be able to do their thing!
Beans are self-pollinating, and drop their pollen the night before the flowers open. High heat and humidity could affect pollination as it sometimes does with tomatoes. But, the presence or absence of bees and other pollinators has no significant effect.
Gary
So you're saying that any purple blotches on my Fortex beans are purely coincidental?
You may find this discussion on the possibilities of Bean pollination helpful..
Gary
Research Thread on Bean pollination
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/legumes/msg0611461216661.html
Thanks, Gary. That was really helpful. It looks like I probably do have a cross; I plant all my legumes next to each other so this could be an ongoing problem!