Dwarf Flat Bean Sorial - Vilmorin seeds

The Dwarf Flat Sorial Bean is a semi-early, dwarf but very productive selection from Vilmorin, which produces beautiful flat and fleshy pods, very straight, dark green in colour. The harvest is so abundant that a portion can be frozen, allowing you to enjoy them in winter. Sow from April to July for a harvest 8 to 10 weeks later, from July to September. A reliable variety! The box contains the quantity of seeds necessary to sow 20 linear metres.

The Soral bean is a small variety, about 50cm (20in) tall, which will find its place in small vegetable gardens, as well as in pots on the terrace or balcony. The flat pods can be harvested when they are young or at the snap stage just before the formation of the seeds, as they do not form any strings, even at an advanced stage.

Whether consumed for its pod or its seed, the bean is a vegetable highly appreciated in gardens, as it is very easy to grow. It is so punctual that the gardener knows the exact date when the first harvest will take place, 60 days after sowing.

Discovered in the New World and acclimatised in Europe from the 16th century onwards, the bean has now become an essential legume in diets all over the world. Native Americans cultivated it for its dried seeds, but it was the Italians who, in the 18th century, initiated the consumption of the whole pod by picking it when immature.
The bean is a vine with indeterminate growth. The primitive varieties are all climbers and require support. Later, for practical reasons, dwarf varieties were selected, but they all have tendrils that can wrap around a support.
The pods are generally green, sometimes yellow, streaked with red or even amethyst. Among the varieties that are eaten at the fine or extra fine stage, there are the filet beans which have strings when ripe. Then the pod becomes parchment-like and loses its taste quality.
The snap bean is generally more fleshy and can be consumed entirely, both the seeds and the pods, even when fully ripe. The filet beans, created more recently, can be consumed when young at the extra fine stage and even when more fleshy like a snap bean, as they do not form any strings.

Among the shelling varieties (i.e., those whose seeds are consumed), the harvest of fresh seeds differs from that of dry seeds, with the former taking place 90 days after sowing.

The immature green pods are known for their richness in vitamins A, B9, and C, as well as trace elements and minerals. Dry beans are also very rich in vitamin C, trace elements, and especially plant proteins.

Harvesting: the harvest of fresh seeds or young pods begins 60 days after sowing. For fresh seeds, it should be done before the pods start to dehydrate and develop wrinkles. The seeds should barely take on their colour. For pod consumption, the harvest should take place every 2 or 3 days, both at the fine and extra fine stage for filet beans. The harvest of dry seeds is done by cutting the whole plant, which is then suspended in a dry and well-ventilated place. They can be shelled as needed.

Storage: freezing the pods is now the most common method of preservation. To do this, remove the stems, wash the pods, blanch them for 5 to 6 minutes in boiling water, and then plunge them into cold water before drying them with a clean cloth. Once placed in bags, the beans can be stored in the freezer at -18°C. However, canning is regaining popularity for a growing number of consumers due to the taste qualities inherent in this preservation method. Like freezing, remove the stems, wash, blanch, and then immerse the beans in cold water. Then put them in jars and fill them with boiling salted water. Close the jars and sterilise them in a pressure cooker or with a steriliser for 1 hour and 30 minutes over medium heat. To do this, completely cover the jars with water after securing them well.

Dry beans: when completely dry, bean seeds can be stored for up to a year if kept in good conditions, such as in airtight jars.

Gardener's tip: beans, like all members of the Fabaceae family, have the ability to fix nitrogen from the air into the soil through a plant-bacteria symbiosis. They therefore have the ability to regenerate soils. Beans can be included in crop rotations after burying green manure. Traditionally, bean cultivation in Central and South America is associated with the cultivation of squash and corn, forming a beneficial triad. This association is locally called Milpa. Beans also associate well with eggplants, carrots, cabbage, potatoes, and radishes, as they protect each other. Avoid the presence of alliums or fennel, as their growth inhibits each other.

Spraying nettle extract allows for effective control of aphid attacks, as well as strengthening the plants.