It’s been a few weeks since the 4th Annual Blind Pig & the Acorn Planting by the Signs Test kicked off, so I thought it was time for an update (if you’re a participant and would like to tell how your plants are fairing-just leave a comment on this post) Sow True Seed sponsored the sign test and my garden this year.
I got my seeds planted on the appropriate days-4 on the good day-4 on the bad day. As you can see from the photo above-my bad day plants are a good bit larger than my good day. All of my bad day seeds came up-while only 3 of my good day seeds came up. All but one of my plants look very healthy and strong-even though they are different sizes.
Over the weeks since the test started a few participants have updated me -you can see how they’re doing below. (if you’re a participant and would like to tell how your plants are fairing-just leave a comment on this post)
*Warren: Mine sprouted super fast and are incredibly strong looking so far!
*Julia: I planted two of my october beans on 5/18 – moon in the dark phase, and the signs were in Aries (killing).
I planted three more of my beans on 5/22 – moon in the light phase, and the signs in Gemini, supposedly the very best sign for beans.
I planted three more of my beans on 5/24 – moon in light phase, and the signs in Cancer (fruitful).
By 5/24, the first pair of beans planted on 5/18 had sprouted and looked OK. Went camping for Memorial day weekend. Got back on 5/29. One of the 5/18 beans had a little bug damage. Two of the 5/22 beans and one of the 5/24 beans had sprouted. Some bug damage on both the 5/22 & 5/24 beans. Moved them all to a new, sunnier location and sprayed w/ neem. Hope the bugs let them alone long enough for them to get some size on them so I can transplant into the garden!
*Tammy: Poked my seeds in the ground today and flagged them. I planted them in the rain and the same gentle rain continues here…..perfect transplanting weather. Four seeds, I expect to see a crook or two by Saturday!
*Linda Kerlin: I did get my 4 seed in on the good day 23 May and 3 of them have sprung up their heads thru the mound they now call home on 1 June. Bad day seeds went in on 26 May and they too have poked on thru, but once again only 3–also saw them for the first time on 1 June. The 3rd bean planted on both side of the fence whether it is a good day seed or a bad day seed sitting directly across from each other have not shown their face to me—I find that a bit odd to be exactly at that same area—do you too, find that interesting? Planted both sets midday.
*B. Ruth: One bean came up on the bad day planted ones…….No beans came up on the good day ones…..I don’t know why….there is one little sprout that looks like it might be a bean in the good day patch….but all those were planted first so I don’t what happened to them…..I know they were heirloom beans….I know for sure one was cracked in two pieces…didn’t plant that one..Roy said on the good day that two of the beans looked like they were open a tiny bit so they could have been damaged as well…..I have never had beans that at least 85% of them came up..Weird….Maybe my one bean plant will be a Jack in the Beanstalk plant….LOL
That’s how the test is going for now-and I’ll let you know how it progresses.
Tipper
I wish my Dad were still around. He would love participating in these seed tests!
My bad day beans are smaller than my good day but they look plenty healthy. Before I got my electric fence up, some critter ate the head off of one of the good day beans. Anyhow, all is still well…mostly anyhow
Tipper,
I had me a mess of Roma beans the first of the week…Hubby said they were about ready to pick again…
Hate for them Northern folks to hear that I cooked them all day long, with onion and rendered hawg seasoning…for they like to eat those halfway raw crunchy beans…LOL It’s a Southern/mountain thang!
Suppose it come from puttin’ them on early in the morning on a hot cast iron stove…by dinner when the farm hands come in they was ready to eat…and by supper they was real good and ready with a few “grabbled” potatoes added to the pot…Beans, taters, maters and corn bread…fried strips of fatback…can’t beat that for Appalachian cookin’, we quit eatin’ fried fatback years ago…Somethin’ about clogging yore veins…never could understand that since I never seed a hawg with clogged veins…and I’ve seen some biggun’s…when I was a kid!
Thanks for a great post,
I ain’t give up on my beans yet!
Guess this comes fro
My name for the littlest bean is Bountiful Harvest. Harve for short. I had originally thought of Harvey but that would have been too easy.
My mother has a variety of beans that she saved seeds from and planted every year. She called them Harvey Beans. I don’t know where she got the name, but she had an uncle Harvey Simonds. Maybe she got the seeds from him. She also planted October beans and a variety she called little pink beans. She may have had more, but that’s all I can come up with at the moment. She also saved flower seeds, but that’s another day
Tipper,
One of the seeds was crushed in the mial so we started out with only 7 seeds. Jan planted 4 on the day with the good sign and 3 on the bad day. They all came up, but the rabbits ate all but 2. We now have 1 each for the good day and bad day. I also noticed that one rabbit is very healthy looking and there is one sickly looking one. Do you think that the beans had something to do with that? Just kidding about the rabbits. Right now both bean plants are about the same. We’ll see what happens next.
Ken and Jan
Interesting results — I’ve not planted by the signs or by the moon — just when the ground is right…
I will have to go look but my husband forgot I planted them and started a ridge over top of them. He then realized what he had done and took back off some of the dirt he had put on them. So mine are a bust. I hadn’t seen but two small sprouts and one was a good day one and one a bad. So anyway I guess mine are a no go.
Tipper,
I’m going to wait till Friday, but
I could have a mess of fresh green
beans now. This is the earliest
ever for me and as usual, the first ones are nearest the ground.
Ain’t seen but one bug and he’s
not with us anymore…Ken
Lonnie-You missed it. Would it help if I gave you his first name? It’s Bountiful.
Only one seed each took. I accidentally broke off the bad day plant, so just have one good day plant trying to grow.
Ed, I’m betting his first name’s Paul.
I didn’t plant this year except for two small green pepper plants. Looks like many of you are having nice growing luck. I was introduced to chocolate gravy by a friend of mine. It was yummy on her homemade biscuits.
On my last report about the October beans I reported that #3 bean on both the “good” day &”bad”day had not shown their face. I am happy to report “all” are up –the plants on the “good” day side are about 2″ taller that the plants on the “bad” day side—all receive the same amount of sun and care.
Harve you got any beans, Ed?
Tipper, I never had any chocolate gravy in my life till you made it for me. It was mighty fine, along with those excellent biscuits you make. Make you slap your grannie, as a friend if mine used to say! Although it’s just an expression. You best not slap Grannie, she might hit back!
My good day beans sprouted quickly and are much bigger than the bad day beans. Only three of my bad day beans sprouted. The bugs went right after them. Two are trying to recover. Barbara Gantt
Sorry to hear of the loss of your leguminous progeny. Maybe a good day for beans was also a good day for moles and crows and squirrels.
I’m pulling for the runt now. I’ve named him Harve, unless you have already chosen something. You’d better be good to him and make sure nobody picks on him ’til he is grown. You know he is sickly, so don’t be upset if he snaps at you or if he wants to string along wherever you go.
Harve is only a nickname. Can anybody guess his full name?