Need the name of the long skinny green beans Please

I need to know the name of the long skinny green beans that they have in some of the oriental restaurants usually on the buffet. They have them in a brown sauce. I would like to grow some. I don't know the name of them to be able to order the seed. Thank you.

[logose]

I have always heard it called Chinese long beans,dow gok or yard beans because of its length.
Go to this web site and you will get the info you need http://www.melissas.com/Magazine/ind...252&Page_ID=70

[monpetitchoux]

Those beans are called douw gowk in Cantonese. I think they're called mile long beans or something to that effect in English. Am told that they are more related to black-eyed peas than string beans. There are two kinds. A dark green variety and a pale green variety. You can find the seeds in larger Asian grocery stores, usually. Or you might look at seed catalogues or consult with a local nursery. If not, you can email me your address and I can send you a package of seeds since I live near a Chinatown.

[layjo]

I have some growing in my backyard! I read that you need to pick them before they get longer than 18" and are still thin. The are long and slender pods and taste good. If you leave them to grow on the vine longer, the beans inside (which do sort of look like black eyed peas) will get larger and you will notice the bulges in the pod. I let a few stay on the vine longer and I'm going to let them dry in the pod and see if I can plant some more! I got them at a local garden center of a department store!

[ June 19, 2001: Message edited by: Layjo ]

Thank you everyone for telling me the name, I am now in search of seeds and can't wait to plant. I just realized that they have put in the gardening section in cheftalk and I hope I did not make anyone mad for not putting my question there. Thank you for your help. I have some friends and they did not know the "english" name either.

[Mezzaluna]

We forgive you, farmer! Curiosity and passion for food makes up for your oversight. What other interesting crops are you raising this season?

[mudbug]

Layjo,

If you purchased your seeds from the "local garden center of a department store", they are probably "hybrid" seeds and not "non-hybrid seeds" meaning that they probably will not bear fruit the next year if you try to plant the seeds from this year's crop. This is the industry's way to guarantee that you will continually purchase seeds every year. Flowers, herbs, and everything else they sell in those packets are the same way.

More info:
• Excellent Article: Use non-hybrid seeds and save big bucks in this year's garden
• There is a good description here.
• And more info here..

If you really want to save your seeds to plant next year for produce, look for seeds that are "non-hybrid/open pollenated". This will ensure that they will return next year as the exact same variety they were to begin with and produce seed that will bear fruit for years to come.

There are several companies that specialize in non-hybrid seeds:
Victory Seeds
Garden City Seeds

For more general info on non-hybrid seeds, look here.

I would be interested to see what happens next year when you plant them... Let us know how it goes.

[ June 19, 2001: Message edited by: cchiu ]

Just the normal stuff for Texas, but I always have to try something different to see if I can grow it. I tried Thai basil and eggplant and it did not do good at all after I put it outside. The grasshoppers ate it like the first day. I had it hidden next to other stuff and they just ate it down to the ground. It is too hot here right now to try to grow the cabbage & lettuce, it would turn out bitter. I have this little dream of finding some vegetable that no one else grows and be able to be a source for a supplier or a chef.

[mudbug]

The most common name for it is the "Asparagus Bean"

a.k.a. Liana, Chinese Long Bean, Yard-long Bean, "dow ghok" (Chinese) and it's known worldwide by it's latin name "vigna unguiculata"

For ton's on information to browse on this bean, click here.


[ June 19, 2001: Message edited by: cchiu ]

[layjo]

Thanks for the info about seed types, cchiu! Goes to show you how new I am to gardening. Well i guess i will have to buy some more seeds when the time comes! And will look for non-hybrid type seeds if I want to save seed for continuous planting of a desired and available crop!

[ June 21, 2001: Message edited by: Layjo ]