I have 3 Pinto's started (the other 2 are tiny still) in the basket with tin start cups. I also have 5 Trail-of-Tears Beans started in the red cups, well one is actually outside already as an experiment--even though it is only February! I don't really know a lot about growing beans yet, except that it is easy to start them from dried bean in your window seals and that they will need a trellis to climb. I started with Beans starts first b/c we eat beans, probably once per week. We used to eat canned beans until I learned that canned foods are one of the highest sources for BPAs--higher than plastics! Then I discovered, by switching over to the bulk dried variety that they taste better, cost less, and are actually quite easy to prepare using the crock pot and store in Ball jars in the freezer. We currently buy our Beans from the bulk department @ the health food store and they are still less expensive than the canned varieties. I decided that if we were going to save money preparing our own, I will afford the luxury of buying the best dried variety possible.