How to Grow Pole Beans

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By Willi Galloway
eHow Contributing Writer

Article Rating: (41 Ratings)

There are two main types of beans: pole beans and bush beans. Bush beans grow to about 18 inches tall and produce a big flush of beans at once, which makes them a good choice for canning, but you must plant successive crops to enjoy a harvest all summer long. Pole beans grow on a tall vine and produce beans continuously during the growing season. I prefer to grow pole beans because they take up less space and I only have to plant them once. Plus, pole beans tend to have a richer flavor than bush beans. There are hundreds of pole bean varieties and they come in green, yellow, purple and mottled colors, and their pods range in size from skinny French green beans to long, flat, meaty Italian beans.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

(6) 8-foot tall bamboo poles
14-inch plastic zip ties
Bean seeds

Step 1

You must build a sturdy teepee trellis for the pole beans to climb. Using a trowel, delineate the base of your trellis by drawing a circle that is 4 feet in diameter. Build the teepee with the six bamboo poles. Space the poles in even increments around the circle, then drive each pole into the ground 18 to 24 inches deep.
Step 2

Create the teepee by gathering the poles together at the top. Secure the poles together by placing a plastic zip tie around them and cinching it tight. Clip off the tail of the zip tie. (If you're short you may need to enlist a tall person to help with this step.)
Step 3

If you plan on building more than one teepee, space them in a row 8 feet apart and then place a horizontal bamboo pole between them to add extra support to the trellises.
Step 4

Make a small mound of soil that is about 6 inches in diameter and 3 inches tall at the base of each pole. Plant five pole bean seeds in each mound. The seeds should germinate in 7 to 14 days. When the seedlings reach 3 inches high, thin out the two weakest seedlings by clipping them off at the soil line with scissors.
Step 5

Train the vines up the poles. Spread 2 inches of grass clippings around the base of each pole to conserve soil moisture and reduce weed problems. Beans tolerate dry soil, but they do best if you water them deeply once a week.
Step 6

Harvest pole beans before you can feel the bean seeds inside the pods. Prevent fungal disease by only harvesting when the foliage is dry. Pulling beans off the vine can damage the plant, so harvest by pinching off each bean. Pole beans grow fast, so harvest at least three times a week to ensure you get the tastiest pods and to signal the plant that it needs to keep producing.
Step 7

Beans taste best when eaten fresh, but they will keep for a week to 10 days if you store them in a perforated plastic bag in the crisper drawer of a refrigerator.

Comments

baddhabits said

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on 6/1/2009 Trellis are great but I am on a tighter budget. Last year was my first year for a garden and what I did for trellis worked out great. I took 1x2x8 and pounded them in at each end of the row being 8'. I then screwed one 1x2x8 to the top for support at each end. I have 5 rows each being eight feet long. I then wrap twine from end to end till I reach the top. I repeat this for All five rows. I also run a support connecting all five rows together for better support. It worked great for me last year and I think it will even be better this year.

tlcutter said

on 4/28/2009 When planting pole beans should you cover hills with light mulch or straw to help retain water?

Willi said

on 4/30/2008 Hello! It's still a little cold to plant pole beans in my neck of the woods, but as soon as it warms up, I'll build this trellis and post photos.

kstorhaug said

on 4/29/2008 Wish there was a picture showing what the bean pole trellis looks like when constructed. My husband is more of a visual person. Thanks for the idea though.