About Pole Beans

Most commercial producers grow bush snap bean varieties due to their ease in harvesting. However, many home gardeners prefer the rich flavor of pole beans and grow them in their gardens each year. These easy to grow beans produce a high yield of beans in a small area.

History

Cultivated beans (Phaseolus) originated in Guatemala, but soon spread across both North and South America, as native people cultivated and consumed beans almost as much as maize. When Europeans arrived in the Americas, beans were widely available.

Time Frame

Originally referred to as string beans, due to the thick string of plant material that grew the length of the bean pod, the 1950s brought new cultivars of bush beans that produced tender beans without the characteristic string. Although still referred to as string beans by many, they adopted the name of snap bean. Yellow beans, commonly referred to as wax beans, also carry the name of string beans in many areas.

Size

Pole beans come in both green and yellow varieties, although the green is more popular. Pole beans grow to heights of 6 to 9 feet tall and require a trellis. The vines prefer to twist around a base and will not generally climb fences. A pole or stake inserted in the ground provides the ideal base for the bean plant to climb. Many home gardeners prefer to create a teepee from 6 to 8 stakes and plant several bean seeds around the base of each stake. Six to 8 foot poles with a diameter of 2 inches generally provide adequate support and withstand winds. The bean plant climbs the pole with little assistance from the gardener. Specially made beanpole towers are available at gardening supply stores; these consist of a central pole with what resembles the spokes from a small bicycle tire at the top and spokes from a large tire at the bottom. Monofilament strung between the two sets of spokes provides the support for individual bean plants.

Benefits

Pole beans mature later than bush beans, but also produce over a longer period with a larger yield of beans. Longer pods provide an abundance of beans over several weeks. Growing beans vertically allows gardeners to grow more beans in less space and makes harvesting by hand easier than harvesting bush beans, as the entire plant is visible making beans easier to locate. The vertical structure allows beans to dry quickly after a summer rain, whereas bush beans must be allowed to dry out before picking to avoid discolored leaves and beans. Harvesting often and removing any mature beans encourages the plant to continue to produce new beans,

Considerations

Scarlet runner beans grow to a height of 15 feet and quickly cover an arbor or trellis. The blossoms are bright red and attract hummingbirds. These beans serve primarily as ornamental beans, but are edible. The mature bean produces beans suitable for shell beans. Beans mature in 75 to 85 days.