Hi friends, Right now I’m growing the fabulous Trionfo Violetto pole bean which passes every test and still produces long tender delicious purple beans, even well into the season. I’ve been growing this heirloom variety for more than 15 years. This bean is a vigorously growing pole variety. When the vines reach the top of the pole they can be trained to run down another side, so it can be fashioned into an arching tunnel, or arbor from which you can comfortably pick in the shade. It has a dark blueish green leaf and gorgeous purple flowers. It produces gallons of beautiful purple beans over a very long period, and if sprayed with a seaweed solution about once a month, will grow a second heavy crop after the first big flush. In addition to all this fabulousness, perhaps it’s most revered quality is its ability to withstand damage from Japanese beetles. Leaves may get munched, but this stalwart will valiantly carry on producing. Spray with seaweed solution and the leaves will re-grow. I love creating bean towers from downed tree limbs. I collect 2 to 3 inch thick limbs about 6 to 8 feet in length that blow down during the wind storms and fashion rustic bean tripods and lattices by lashing the poles with a good three ply cotton seine twine. I run reinforcing “branches” horizontally about two inches from the soil on all sides and then wrap garden jute twine horizontally to give the beans additional climbing support. I dig a hole about ten to twelve inches deep for each pole— deep enough to withstand most summer storms. Beans need lots of full sun, but I have grown these running up twine as a living screen for the front porch which only receives sun for half the day. I used to carefully plant the beans, spacing about every 3-4 inches around the perimeter of the bean structure, but if you plant closer they will still come up and you can thin to about one every 3-4 inches. Keep moist during germination, they are usually up within ten days. Please do not plant these on a Friday in warm dry weather and then go off to the beach for a week. Water them every morning or afternoon when you get home, and be happy. Once up and growing make sure they get regular waterings and they will steadily produce for weeks. Pick every day weather permitting to encourage continued production. Learn how to freeze beans or share the extra and make someone’s day. The Trionfo Violetto variety is hard to find in the U.S. and your seeds have great germination rates and grow robustly. This one is a keeper!

So far, so good. The plants are growing incredibly well. I hope to have beans soon!

Planted in February (Phoenix, AZ) harvesting handfuls of wonderful beans now the end of April, first of May! Great producer which is hard for most varieties of beans in our climate! Grew to about 8 feet tall on trellis. Highly recommend.