[Community_garden] Harvesting black beans and killing junk tree stumps

[Judith Gardner]

Hello All,

I have grown black beans for the first time (Cherokee Trail of Tears variety from Seed Savers).  They are starting to produce and i am torn between letting them dry on the vine and picking them and drying them elsewhere in order to keep the vines producing.  Most of the information i have been able to locate on the web is about growing them commercially where it is impractical to pick them as they develop.  Thus, my questions about black beans are two:  Should i just let them dry on the vine or, if i pick them as they mature, how will i know when it is time?

Both of my neighbors have junk trees (tree of heaven, etc.) growing in their yards that they would be happy to have me cut down.  I have cut them down in the past, but they just grow back bigger and better/worse the next year.  Is there an organic way to kill the stumps?  (I sell produce from my garden under our Grown in Detroit brand and do not want to use dangerous chemicals.)  If there is no acceptable organic method, what is the least harmful other method?

Thanks for all the pleasure and info i have received from this list serve over the years.

Judy from Detroit