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Jacob’s Cattle Shell and Dry Bush Bean - Organic

seeds
Choose an item size to add to your cart.
$5.95
Item: 344-A
$20.25
Item: 344-B
$31.75
Item: 344-C
$78.00
Item: 344-D
Phaseolus vulgaris
(88 days) Open pollinated.

Popular New England heirloom, often referred to as Jake’s, originated with the Passamaquoddy tribe Downeast and long grown by the Pike family of Lubec. As a dry bean, its dark red speckles on white background are said to look like the cattle’s markings. If harvested earlier, the kidney-shaped beans make superb shellies.

Indigenous Royalties.

Supplier Transparency:
① Small seed farmers including Fedco staff
ships year-round
Quick Details
Hybrid Status
open pollinated
Days to Maturity
88 days
Indigenous Royalties
Yes
Lifecycle
annual
Color
red-speckled white
Compare
Compare with other Shell and Dry Bush Beans
Variety Product Type Hybrid Status Days to Maturity Lifecycle Color
PB&J Nebula Gene Pool seeds open pollinated 60 days annual multi-colored
Mitla seeds open pollinated 85 days annual black
Fast Lady Northern Southern Pea
Organic 		seeds open pollinated 65 days shell, 90 days dry annual white
Taylor Dwarf Horticultural seeds open pollinated 68 days shell annual tan
Vermont Cranberry
Organic 		seeds open pollinated 70 days shell, 95 days dry annual red
Vermont Cranberry seeds open pollinated 70 days shell, 95 days dry annual red
Limelight
ECO 		seeds open pollinated 60 days shell, 85 days dry annual white
Silver Cloud Cannellini
Organic 		seeds open pollinated 70 days shell, 90 days dry annual white
Limelight
Organic 		seeds open pollinated 60 days shell, 85 days dry annual white
Black Coco
Organic 		seeds open pollinated 60 days shell, 85 days dry annual black
King of the Early
Organic 		seeds open pollinated 85 days annual red
Maine Sunset seeds open pollinated 85 days annual brown-splotched white
Marfax seeds open pollinated 86 days annual golden-tan
Marfax
Organic 		seeds open pollinated 86 days annual golden-tan
Saturday Nite Special seeds open pollinated 105 days annual white
Tiger’s Eye
Organic 		seeds open pollinated 65 days shell, 85 days dry annual golden
Jacob’s Cattle seeds open pollinated 88 days annual red-speckled white
Jacob’s Cattle
Organic 		seeds open pollinated 88 days annual red-speckled white
Gaucho
Organic 		seeds open pollinated 88 days annual gold
White Candle Gaucho
Organic 		seeds open pollinated 88 days annual white
Soldier seeds open pollinated 89 days annual white
Soldier
Organic 		seeds open pollinated 89 days annual white
Kenearly
Organic 		seeds open pollinated 89 days annual white
Kenearly seeds open pollinated 89 days annual white
Calypso
Organic 		seeds open pollinated 90 days annual black and white
Monos Negros
Organic 		seeds open pollinated 90 days annual black
Brown Resilient
Organic 		seeds open pollinated 100 days annual brown
Quincy Pinto
Organic 		seeds open pollinated 106 days annual tan
Quincy Pinto
ECO 		seeds open pollinated 106 days annual tan
Red Kidney
Organic 		seeds open pollinated 102 days annual light red
Black Turtle
Organic 		seeds open pollinated 102 days annual black
Additional Information

Shell and Dry Bush Beans

About 70-190 seeds/oz packet. Seed size varies widely by variety.

Culture: In conditions of high nitrogen fertility some bush beans may develop vines in moist hot weather. Tender, will not survive frost. Plant 3–4 seeds/ft in rows 24–30" apart. Pick frequently for maximum yields, but avoid disturbing foliage in wet weather to prevent spread of fungal diseases.

Harvest at shelling stage when beans are plump inside pods. For dry beans let pods dry hard on the vine until pressing the beans with your fingernail leaves no indentation. If heavy rains or hard frost threaten before full dry maturity, either pull plants by the roots and hang them in a dry place to finish; or pick pods into mesh or paper bags and finish drying them indoors before threshing.

Beans

  • All beans are open-pollinated.
  • Days to maturity are from seeding date.

Culture: Tender, will not survive frost. Inoculate with a legume inoculant, then plant seeds 3–4" apart in rows 24–30" apart after all danger of frost has passed and soil has warmed. Minimum germination soil temperature 60°; optimal range 70–80°. White-seeded beans are generally more sensitive to cold soil temps than dark-seeded varieties. Legumes have moderate fertility needs and can fix their own nitrogen.

Saving Seed: Saving bean seed is easy! Leave pods on the plants to dry. Hand shell, or stomp pods on a tarp. To ensure true-to-type seed, separate varieties by 30 feet.

Diseases:

  • ANTH: Anthracnose
  • BBS: Bacterial Brown Spot
  • CBMV: Common Bean Mosaic Virus
  • CTV: Curly Top Virus
  • DM: Downy Mildew
  • HB: Halo Blight
  • NY 15: NY 15 Mosaic Virus
  • PM: Powdery Mildew
  • PMV: Pod Mottle Virus
  • R: Rust
  • SC: Sclerotina

White mold, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, affects more than 300 plant species. In beans, low humidity, good air circulation and wider spacing, both between plants and between rows, reduce the likelihood of this soil-borne infection.

Germination Testing

For the latest results of our germination tests, please see the germination page.

Our Seeds are Non-GMO

Non GMO

All of our seeds are non-GMO, and free of neonicotinoids and fungicides. Fedco is one of the original companies to sign the Safe Seed Pledge.

Shipping

From early May through mid-December, items shipping from our garden seeds warehouse ship twice a week, usually Tuesday and Thursday. For quickest turnaround time order online by noon Monday or Wednesday.