Beans lookin kinda funny this year

[cjclemens]

I was just wandering through the garden earlier today and I couldn't help but notice my pinto beans and pole bean rows were growin together, making one big mess.  Upon further inspection, the Pinto beans (listed as half-runners) are more viney lookin than my pole beans are.  In fact, some are starting to climb my pole beans to get onto the trellis.  This sure has been one strange year...

[longwinters]

I've always wondered about cross pollination.  It will be interesting to see what you end up with and how you use them.
 
Long

[keith44]

with the drier than normal year we are having everything is looking a bit off

[cjclemens]

I've always wondered about cross pollination.  It will be interesting to see what you end up with and how you use them.

Beans are pretty good about self-pollinating.  Cross pollination does happen on occasion, but the fruit (beans) will still resemble the plant they're borne on.  For example, pinto bean plants pollinated with wax bean pollen will still give you beans that look like pinto beans.  You wont see the result of the cross until they are planted and grown out the following season.  I got my pinto bean seed from Vermont Bean Seed Company this year- they should be ok unless Vermont Bean got a bad batch somehow.

I would guess Keith is on the money.  I'm in eastern part of central Illinois, and we haven't had a decent rain in months.  Its been just a couple tenths of an inch here and there.  Even if I run irrigation all day long, I cant come close to making up the deficit.  Its gotten bad - a lot like Texas here at the moment.  The pinto beans are probably just better at dealing with the stress and climbing away while my pole beans aren't doing much.