Bush and Pole

There are two basic plant habits bush and pole. The bush is a low, self-supporting plant that grows 1 to 2 feet in height. Pole beans are vines which must be supported by stakes or a trellis.

Use bush varieties for quick production and pole types for a longer season. Successive plantings of bush types every 10 to 14 days will provide beans for most of the growing season. Because pole beans bear over a longer period, usually one planting suffices.

Disease-free Western-grown seed should be used rather than that grown by the gardener since snap beans are subject to diseases carried on the seed. Do not soak the seed prior to planting because seeds of many bean varieties tend to crack and germinate poorly under extreme moisture conditions.

Bush-type beans are most commonly planted in rows 18 to 30 inches apart with seeds placed 1 to 2 inches apart and thinned so plants are 2 to 4 inches apart.

Planting Guide for Beans and Peas

Pole beans may also be planted in rows 2 to 4 feet apart with vines supported by poles, a fence, or a trellis made of posts and twine. In addition, they may be planted in hills about 3 feet apart each way, with 6 to 8 seeds in each hill, and later thinned to 4 to 5 plants. A pole is placed in the center of every hill with each pole upright, or four poles are tied together in wigwam fashion. Gardeners usually train the vines to climb the supports in a clockwise direction.

Bean seed should be covered not more than 1 inch in heavy soils and 1 1/2 inches in sandy soils.

If the vegetable garden has received a general application of manure, compost, or commercial fertilizer, beans should need no additional fertilizer during the growing season. Where no fertilizer has been applied, a moderate application of one such as 5-10-5 usually is all you need. Avoid heavy applications of fertilizers high in nitrogen as they may cause heavy vine growth, delayed maturity, and a small yield of pods.

On light soils or after periods of heavy rainfall, you may need to side-dress the plants with a nitrogenous fertilizer during the growing season.

Mulching of beans with organic materials or black plastic is recommended since it conserves moisture and prevents weed growth. Black plastic also hastens early season growth.

Control weeds by cultivating or hoeing. These operations should be very shallow since bean roots are close to the surface. In cultivating, throw soil against the bean stems to aid in support and development of additional roots. An adequate mulch greatly decreases weed growth.

Pest Control

Snap beans suffer from diseases and insect pests, the number and intensity of attack depending upon geographic location. In the West, virus diseases and root rots are the most serious diseases. In the East and South, bacterial and fungus leaf and pod diseases are most important.

Diseases are best controlled by preventative measures such as using disease-free, Western-grown seed which controls bacterial diseases and anthracnose; planting disease-resistant varieties when available which controls virus diseases and rust; and using seed treated with pesticide to control soil-borne diseases and insects.

Practicing cleanliness and sanitation in the garden controls many diseases and insects. Not handling or working among the bean plants when the foliage is wet from dew or rain helps control bacterial diseases. Not planting beans in the same ground year after year reduces root rots.

Seed catalogs or State agricultural experiment station publications usually indicate if varieties are resistant to particular diseases.

Insects must be controlled with insecticides applied to the plants (for aphids, Mexican bean beetle, mites, potato leafhopper), or seed (for the seed corn maggot). Contact your local county agent or State university for specific control recommendations.

Snap beans are best for eating while the pods are still young, the seeds still small, the interior flesh is firm, and the pod wall fiber content low. The proper stage for picking lasts only a few days and delay can mean a poor quality product.

Bush varieties usually yield three or four pickings whereas pole varieties yield numerous pickings. Regular and thorough picking of both types is important because it causes the plants to continue to set pods longer.

Yields can vary tremendously, but bush beans yield about 50 pounds per hundred feet of row and pole beans about 60 pounds.

Green shell beans are harvested and shelled out after the seeds are nearly fully grown, but before they have hardened and dried. Snap bean varieties may be used for green shell beans, but it is better to plant one of the horticultural varieties for this purpose. Depending on variety, from planting to green shell stage will take 55 to 75 days.

Dry beans are harvested after the pods are mature and dried or partially dried. Delay in harvesting may result in loss of seed due to shattering.