butterbeans?

[Copenhagen & Shiner B]

Does anybody here plant butterbeans? I have always planted cangreen butterbeans, but this year I planted Florida speckled climbibg butterbeans. The Florida specks started making around July 4, but have not started to heavily produce until now.

 

[Jogeephus]

I used to but just got tired of picking them. Man they are a job. We finally got to the point we'd pull the whole bush up and go sit under a tree and pick them off the bushes then feed the bushes to the cows. Then there's the job of shelling them.

Never tried the climbers. How do you like them? Are they easier to pick?

 

[Copenhagen & Shiner B]

The climbers do not produce any more than the bush types, but they are better on my back. I will plant the climbers again until the post rot , and then I will go back to the bush beans. We have always fed the cows the field pea vines and shells, but never the butter bean bushes and shells because I have always been told that butterbeans will kill a cow. Daddy knew a fella growing up that planted 2 rows of butterbeans every week. Instead of picking the butterbeans, he just pulled 2 rows of butterbeans every week and sat in the shade and picked them.

 

[Jogeephus]

Didn't know it would hurt cows. Guess I'm lucky we never grew more than a couple of rows.

Do you know of any other common garden plants that are considered poisonous? Just wondering cause I will normally just turn the cattle loose in the garden when I'm done with it and I sure don't want to hurt any of them.

 

[farmwriter]

Jo, could be nonsense, but I've always heard you shouldn't feed any part of a tomato plant to livestock.

 

[Jogeephus]

Jo, could be nonsense, but I've always heard you shouldn't feed any part of a tomato plant to livestock.

Sounds reasonable cause I think they are in the nightshade family which would also include eggplant.

 

[Copenhagen & Shiner B]

I was always told that the sharp ends of the butterbean shells would puncture a cows intestine.