Green beans are a staple of so many vegetable gardens because they are so easy to grow—even in limited space—and incredibly productive! Here’s how to plant, grow, and harvest green beans, including both the pole and bush types.
All green beans (also called “string beans” or “snap beans”) are tender annuals. Though most green beans are indeed green, they also come in purple, red, yellow, and streaked varieties.
The main difference between the many types of green beans is whether their growing style is classified as “bush” or “pole.”
There are upsides and downsides to both types, of course:
For more information on how to grow Green Beans click the following hyperlink to Farmers Almanac Green Beans.
For other resources please click on Cornell Universities Pole Beans, Green Beans, Wax Beans link or their Bush Beans or click on Gardening Know How's Beans link.
Edamame is originally from East Asia, edamame is a relatively new crop in North American gardens—especially for home gardeners. It requires a growing season of 10 weeks. Here’s how to plant and grow edamame at home!
Originating from Asia, edamame (pronounced eh-dah-MAH-may) is the name for young, green soybeans that are picked early in the green pod stage before they harden. (Once edamame pods mature, they become dried beans which are used to make soy products like tofu and soymilk.)
After the edamame pods are harvested and steamed in water, they are eaten by squeezing the beans out (2 to 3 per pod), popping directly into the mouth. They have a sweet, nutty, creamy flavor and are very high in protein.
Edamame is not a common crop, but has been gaining ground in North America in recent years. It’s a low-maintenance crop similar to bush beans, but often has a higher yield. As a legume, it also offers the same soil-health benefits as beans—specifically, it helps to fix nitrogen into the soil, making the soil more nutrient rich for later crops. This makes it a great vegetable to practice crop rotation with!
For more information on how to grow Edamae click the following hyperlink to Farmers Almanac Edamame.
For other resources on Edamame or Soy Beans click on Gardening Know How's Soybeans (Edemame) link.
Fava Beans (aka broad bean or faba) is a frost-hardy crop that can be sown in the early spring or planted in the fall and overwintered. Discover this delicious, nutritious plump bean!
Though part of the pea and bean family Fabaceae, fava beans are not like common green beans, Phaseolus vulgaris. They are a member of the vetch genus which is a widely cultivated annual legume grown for its nutritious seeds and pods. They are also grown as a cover crop, keeping the soil covered over winter, which will keep soil life happier; they make efficient use of otherwise empty beds.
Fava beans require cool weather; temperatures in the 60s (Fahrenheit) are ideal. They are a stiffly erect plant that grows 2 to 6 feet tall. A staple crop in many countries, and one of the first beans to have been cultivated (as far back as the Bronze Age), fava beans’ pods, beans, shoots, leaves, and flowers are edible. They are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, with exceptional levels of protein, and plenty of potassium that’ll help reduce blood pressure and good for your heart!
They also grow sweetly fragrant white flowers which are truly gorgeous and worth growing on their own; many pollinators including bumblebees and native bees are attracted to the blooms.
For more information on how to grow Fava Beans click the following hyperlink to Farmers Almanac Fava Beans.
The snap bean (or green bean) is eaten pod and all and is one vegetable that tastes significantly better when grown at home rather than bought at the grocery store. 'Blue Lake 274' produces a very large crop of round, 6" pods all at once on 16"–18" tall, bushy plants that are disease resistant; beans are stringless when picked young. Excellent flavor, one of the best for freezing. A good container variety.
Why is this bean called 'Contender'? Because it vies for the number one spot among beans! And rightly it should; a stringless favorite since 1949, it produces after only 50 days from sowing, and tolerates heat and powdery mildew where other varieties suffer. Disease resistant.
These dark green, glossy beans are stringless and smooth, they develop early, and are fantastic fresh, steamed, pickled, or frozen to enjoy all winter! Compact plants are great for container gardening. Disease resistant.
These delicate 'French Filet' beans are no longer a luxury item found only in gourmet restaurants. Enjoy them fresh from your garden all summer long. Filet (or as the French say, haricot verts) are slender beans; pencil-thin at only ¼" in diameter and 4" long, and so tender. Steam or sauté for just a minute and enjoy. Easy and delicious.
Gold Rush's' clusters of yellow pods really pop against the green foliage of the plant so they are easy to harvest. This golden-yellow bean holds its quality well, both on the plant and post-harvest. A good container variety. Disease resistance.
Jade' is a favorite of gardeners for its consistently long, straight, stringless pods that are tender and sweet with a beautiful, dark green color. Upright, bushy plants hold the pods high, avoiding tip rot. In addition to being very productive, plants are more heat and cold tolerant than other types, are resistant to bean common mosaic viruses 1 and NY15, and tolerant to curly top virus and rust.
Your neighbors will love all your extra beans! 'Provider' is a high-yielding and early producing bean with great disease resistance to bean common mosaic virus (NY15), pod mottle virus, and mildew. These stringless, straight beans germinate in cooler soils than other beans, allowing for earlier sowing. One of the best for freezing and canning. Delicious fresh bean flavor from this 1965 cultivar.
Italian-type flat bean is packed with a mouthwatering, rich flavor--and its firm texture holds up to cooking and processing, making it a great addition to soups and stews. The pods are also flavorful when grilled and sautéed. Roma II Bush Bean produces heavy yields of straight, stingless, bright green, 5-in. pods. Upright plants are easy to harvest and don't require staking. A great all-around bean for canning, freezing or eating fresh. Its flavor doesn't fade. Can be grown as a snap bean or dry bean. For best results, plant bean seeds in well-drained soil and in full sun
Royal Burgundy', fresh from your garden, has delicious purple pods that are easily found among the backdrop of green foliage. It grows better than other varieties in cool weather and is unlikely to be challenged by bean beetle. A good container variety. Disease resistant.
These haricot verts (French for "green beans") are superb when harvested frequently and at a petite size. An excellent choice for container gardening, and plants need no staking. Disease resistant.
Reward your taste buds! Young pods can be eaten like snap beans. Pinch off the foliage tips for one of spring's tastiest greens. Best of all, shell the beans and cook when still green for a sweet, flavorful treat. The beautiful white and black flowers on sturdym upright plants make 'Windsor' pretty enough to use in flower beds! Favas are exceptionally cold tolerant (to 10°F) and grow best in cool conditions (below 75°F). Sturdy 24"-48" tall favas require staking only in high wind areas. Caution: People deficient in an enzyme called glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) should not handle seeds, consume fava beans, or inhale its pollen.
Some say pole beans have better flavor than bush beans. 'Blue Lake FM-1K' certainly would support that statement. Besides outstanding flavor, plants are high-yielding. Vigorous, 5'–8' vines produce a bounty of 5"–7", white-seeded beans that are excellent fresh, and also canned or frozen. Disease resistant.
You can't lose with this 1800s heirloom. 'Kentucky Wonder' (brown seeded) has wonderful, if not unsurpassed flavor. It out-produces most other pole beans with heavy crops of 9" long, gently curved, oval pods. A multi-use bean: drying, shelling and green. Stringless when young. Excellent for freezing. Good production even in hot climates. Disease resistant.
Trionfo Violetto' translates to "purple triumph", and this Italian heirloom will surely win you over with its thin, crisp, flavorful purple pods. Highly ornamental, plants climb 6'–8', and have abundant lavender flowers that bloom against lush green leaves with purple veins and stems; you'll be harvesting beans until late summer. Like other purple beans, the pods magically turn green when cooked!
A 2017 All-America Selections winner, 'Seychelles' (pronounced "say-shells") 7'–9' long vines produce trusses (clusters) of delicious, 4"–6" long, dark green, tender pods that out-perform many standard varieties. Expect earlier and more abundant harvests from this excellent-quality, mostly straight pole bean, which continues to produce until frost. Seeds are slow to develop, and the pods' deep green color remains when cooked. Disease resistant to anthracnose and common bean mosaic virus.
Also called Chinese long beans or asparagus beans, 'Orient Wonder' is a delicious and beautiful, dark green, pole bean. Seeds are slow to develop, so pods stay smooth and slender. 'Orient Wonder' is much more tolerant of weather fluctuations (cool, dry to hot, humid) than traditional green beans. It's easy to grow, prolific, and almost indestructible. Beans are most tender at 12"–18" long, even though they can grow as long as 30".
Gold Mine produces very high yields of crisp, ultra-sweet wax beans that are borne on compact and unusually upright plants. The beans grow together in clusters that make harvest a snap. Beans are 5-5 1/2" long. Plants yield early and need no support. One 2 oz. seed pack will sow a row of about 20 ft. Our seed is not treated.
Easy to see and so very easy to pick, the gorgeous heirloom beans turn green after cooking. Beautiful in a basket and tasty on the plate.
Early Bush Italian is a great Burpee variety that is easy to grow and quick to yield. The 16-18" plants are erect, so it's easy to pick the 5 1/2" long beans. The pods remain stringless and are excellent frozen. For robust bean flavor, make this heirloom bean your first choice. Plants yield early and need no support.
Beans, glorious beans—and in abundance. Bountiful 16–20" plants produce dense sets of super-tasty 5½" dark-green pods. Thanks to slow-to-develop seeds, beans have more energy to produce taste-boosting sugars and flavonoids. Upright, well-adapted, bush-style plants don’t mind the heat; highly resistant to mosaic virus.
Cook's Garden Favorite. French green bean par excellence. ‘Mascotte’ offers up a plentitude of round, extra fine, stringless 5” beans, the crisp flesh packed with flavor. Pods require only the simplest preparation: a little steaming, a little butter: bean bliss. Exceptionally productive, easily harvested, 20” dwarf plants are well-suited for window boxes, pots, patios and the garden. GROWING TIP: Allow two to four days between each gathering. 50-55 days.
All-America Selections winner. Love lima beans? This classic Burpee-bred variety is for you. Ever-popular variety produces massive yields of light-green 4" pods, each packed with 3–5 large beans. Crisply flavorful, easy-shelling beans are excellent for freezing. Drought- and heat-tolerant. No staking required.
With or without support, 'White Half Runner' yields an early, heavy crop of tender green pods 4 1/2" long with white seeds and sweet flavor. One 2 oz. seed packet will sow a row of about 20 ft. Our seed is not treated.
Extraordinaire! A French bean that's bigger and tastier-a new classic. A gourmet's delight, this stringless French variety is everything you wish for in a bean: tender, green, mildly sweet, nutty, meaty, savory. Wildly popular in France (the French know beans), you can pick them from 6 up to 11". Vigorous growth requires sturdy stakes.
Asparagus Yardlong bears loads of slender, very long pods that are best picked when less than 18 in. long. It has a delicious, nutty flavor steamed, stir-fried or sauteed. Easy to grow with no serious pests or diseases. GARDEN HINTS: Do not work around plants when wet. Keep beans picked for continuous bearing; shell mature pods and use as dried beans.
Welcome back this rescued classic variety, a super-productive climbing pole type that allows you to save valuable garden space while enjoying a bountiful harvest. Absolutely no problems — no pests, no diseases, and the plant actually thrives in heat and humidity. Nutty flavor, buttery texture, these beans are oh, so good! Attains up to 12’ when you give it sturdy support. You’re going to love it!
Dragons Tongue Wax is an old, dual purpose French variety (Dragon Langerie) with gorgeous pods that are yellow streaked with purple. As snap beans, the pods turn all yellow after cooking, but they are delicious as shell beans too.
(Phaseolus vulgaris) Pole bean. This bean is easy to grow and produces lots of green pods with purple streaks. It has a good flavor and is very tender. The speckled seeds are popular in soup. This variety does well in hot, humid areas.
80-100 days maturity. Psophocarpus tetragonolobus Winged Bean Seeds. Non-GMO, Heirloom. Warm-season annual. This Winged bean is grossly underutilized in much of the world. It has the potential to be prominent in food production when people recognize its great worth. This unassuming bean has similar high-protein content to the widely used soybean. Every part of the plant is high in protein; even the flowers can be up to 15%! Winged beans are originally tropical and thrive in regions with heavy rainfall, but can be adaptable to multiple climates.
