Vegetable / Warm season
Pole Beans
Also called climbing French beans
Beans that climb past your head and keep on giving
Plant out byJun 1zone 6
- Family
- Legume (Fabaceae)
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ h)
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Days to harvest
- 55-75 days
- Spacing
- 6 in apart, rows 30 in
- Pot size
- 5 gal pot (fine in pots)
- Frost
- Tender
- Start
- Direct sow
- Water
When to plant
Showing .
Averages for a typical garden in the region. Your local frost dates may differ by 2-3 weeks, check a local source.Too late this year (try fall)
In zone 6, sow or plant outdoors Apr 27 to Jun 1. Average last frost Apr 20, first fall frost Oct 20.
Units
The first year I grew pole beans, I gave them a 5 foot trellis. By August the vines had reached the top, waved around in the air for a while, and then started up the downspout. Most pole varieties run 7 to 10 feet, and some go farther. Build the support before you plant, and build it taller than seems sensible.
That support is the real work. Seed sown in cold, wet ground tends to rot or just sit there. Wait until after your last frost, when the soil reaches about 60 degrees F. Push four to six seeds in around the base of each pole, or space them 3 to 6 inches along a fence. Beans dislike being moved, so skip the indoor start and sow them where they will climb.
Once the vines get going, they pay you back. Pole beans take a little longer than bush beans, usually 55 to 75 days. In return they keep making pods for a month or two as long as you keep picking. Leave old pods hanging and the plant slows down. In a pot, give each plant about 5 gallons and tie a trellis to the back. A tall vine in a small pot tips over in wind. In a bed, put the trellis on the north side so it does not shade your peppers. My kids like picking from the bottom while I stretch for the top.
Things to consider
- A full trellis of vines casts real shade. Anything short planted on its north side gets less sun by midsummer, so put lettuce or other shade-tolerant crops there instead of peppers or tomatoes.
- Mexican bean beetles chew leaves into lace from below. Turn a few leaves over each week, look for clusters of yellow eggs and fuzzy yellow larvae, and squash them before they spread down the row.
- Some varieties stop setting pods during very hot spells and start again when it cools. If your summers run hot, look for a heat tolerant variety on the seed packet and keep the soil evenly moist during flowering.
Good neighbours
Keep apart
Pests to watch for
Mexican bean beetlesAphidsLeafhoppersSpider mites
Questions about growing pole beans
How tall should a bean trellis be?
Plan for at least 6 to 7 feet. A teepee of 7 foot poles or a 5 foot cattle panel are common setups, and both are easy to take down in fall. When the vines reach the top, pinch the tips so they branch out instead of flopping over. Sink the poles deep, because a loaded trellis catches a lot of wind.
Can I grow pole beans with corn and squash?
Yes, that is the old three sisters planting. The beans climb the corn, and the squash covers the ground and shades out weeds. Sow the beans at the base of the corn once the stalks stand about a foot tall, so the vines do not smother young plants. It takes more room than a 4x8 bed usually has.
Why are my pods tough and stringy?
They most likely stayed on the vine too long. Pick while the pods are firm and the seeds inside have not started to bulge. In peak season, go over the vines every two or three days, because pods size up fast. Any overgrown pods you missed can be left to dry for shelling beans instead.
Save this crop
Pin it to a garden board so it is there when planting time comes round.
Similar crops
Sources
General guidance for home gardens. Frost dates are averages for a zone or region; check a local source (in the US your county extension office) for local timing.