Pole Beans

By Barbara Melera

Beans, corn, and squash are the quintessential American crops—the trinity of vegetables—the Three Sisters. Of these three sisters, perhaps beans are now the most pervasive worldwide crop, originally exported from the New World to Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. There are many types of beans: bush, pole, runner, half-runner, wax, shell, cowpeas, etc., but in today’s America, the most relevant type of bean might be the pole bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)

For more than a century now, pole beans have been scorned by commercial and home gardeners because they need to climb something. This makes them difficult to harvest commercially and time-consuming to grow for a home gardener.

However, for the space allotted, pole beans produce two to three times as much crop as bush beans. Unlike bush beans, which have a limited production season, pole beans will continue to be productive until the plants are killed by frost if the beans are continuously harvested. Pole beans allowed to climb a simple bamboo structure are also visually a much more dramatic and, might I say, pleasing architectural element in the garden than bush beans could ever hope to be.

Pole beans are part of a large family of beans that are known as common beans, garden beans, French beans, and snap beans. The term “snap” refers to how the beans are used. They are harvested young, eaten fresh (or steamed), and snap when bent in the middle as they break. The wild form of pole beans grows by lateral runners, but the cultivated pole beans grow in a roughly pyramidal form with branches and leaves at the base thinning to a single or double branch at the top of the vine. This pyramidal form makes pole beans ideal for climbing up cornstalks and trellises.

Pole Bean Picks

The ‘Kentucky Wonder’ Pole Beans are the most popular varieties available today. There are three varieties: ‘Kentucky Wonder White’, ‘Kentucky Wonder Brown’, and ‘Kentucky Wonder Wax’ (the only pole wax bean variety still in commercial production.)

The Kentucky Wonders were first introduced to the American public in the 1850s. In those days, they were often called ‘Old Homestead’ beans. Their rich, meaty flavor and resistance to bean rust made them instantly popular.

Bean rust is a fungus that develops when wet, cool weather conditions persist. The fungus attacks all aboveground parts of the plant and causes the plant to lose its leaves and flowers. It is most harmful when it occurs during flowering and pod formation, because it can adversely affect yield. If it occurs late in a season, the plant will lose its leaves, but yield will not be affected.

Kentucky Wonders produce slightly flattened, oval, 7–10 inch pods. They are among the earliest producers, taking from 58–72 days to mature.

These great old beans have stood the test of time and maintain their popularity even today because of their rich flavor and vigor under many kinds of environmental conditions.

The ‘Purple Podded’ Pole, also known as ‘Purple Peacock’, is a European heirloom found by Henry Field in an old garden in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas. Field was a nurseryman who established his company in 1907. His company slogan was “Seeds that Yield are Sold by Field.” He traveled throughout the U.S. identifying and collecting seed varieties.

Purple Podded plants climb to 6 feet and produce long (7+ inches) purple pods, which blanch to green when cooked. They take 65 days to mature. The plants are excellent producers under a variety of conditions.

The heirloom ‘Rattlesnake’ (pictured above) was first introduced commercially in 1931, but had been grown by individual families for many decades prior to its commercial introduction. This bean is also known as ‘Preacher Bean’.

The vines of ‘Rattlesnake’ Pole Bean routinely grow to 10 feet and are prolific producers until the first frosts. The pods are green with burgundy streaks and are very ornamental on the vine. When cooked, the burgundy disappears and the pods turn a uniform green. The beans have a rich, hearty flavor. The plants are very vigorous and unusually drought-tolerant. They take 80 days to mature. Beautiful to look at, fun to grow, and delicious to eat what more could you want?

Lima beans, also known as butter beans, come in large-seeded and smallseeded varieties. They are a very old bean known to have been in coastal Peru since 6,000 BC. The small-seeded varieties are thought to have originated in Mexico. The large-seeded varieties came from South America.

The term “lima” actually refers to Lima, Peru, where it is rumored that an American Navy Admiral was introduced to the beans. He is said to have brought the beans back to New England, where they did not produce well. Somehow, the beans found their way into the MidAtlantic, where they did much better in the warmer climate.

Lima beans require a long growing season and will not tolerate frost. They do best when germinated in warm 75+ degree soil. In soil below 70 degrees, they may not germinate at all or they may germinate and then quickly rot. The biggest mistake that people make when trying to grow lima beans is planting them too early. Limas must have warm soil. In Zones 5 to 7, you should not plant limas before June 1.

Lima beans come in a range of colors, from black to purple to red to white. Bush varieties were first developed in the late 1800s and grow on compact 12–18 inch plants. Pole varieties are the original species and grow on 10–12-foot vines.

The ‘King of the Garden’ lima is one of the best pole limas ever developed. It was introduced in 1883. It usually will mature in 85–95 days. ‘King of the Garden’ produces four to six creamy white seeds per pod. The beans have excellent flavor and the plants will produce over a long period.

Pole vs. Bush Beans

The bean question that we hear the most is, “Should I plant a pole or a bush bean?” For backyard gardeners, patio gardeners, urban gardeners, or any space-challenged gardeners, the answer is easy: Plant pole beans. There are two great reasons for choosing pole beans over bush beans. First, for the square footage allowed, pole beans will always produce more. Second, pole beans will always have a longer production season than bush beans. Bush beans, because they are a dwarf form, have shortened production seasons.

Pole beans are the original snap beans. Bush beans are varieties that were spontaneous mutations of pole beans that were then cultivated for their size.

Pole beans are easily grown on bamboo stake teepees and can be easily grown in containers as well. Six pole bean plants can be grown in an 18inch-diameter pot, supported by a bamboo teepee. This is not only easy, but also very attractive.

‘Blue Lake Stringless’ Pole was introduced in 1961. It is a heavy producer of round, 6-inch-long, very sweet, tender pods. They take 60 days to mature. It is good for fresh eating, canning, or freezing and is an ideal container plant.

Pole Beans in Containers

With the exception of fava beans, which should be planted as soon as the soil can be worked, all beans require warm soil to germinate. Soil temperature should be near 70 degrees. Beans do best when coated with legume inoculant powder, which is a bacterial compound that encourages nitrogen fixation on the roots of the bean plant. Bush varieties should be planted 1 inch deep and 4–6 inches apart in rows spaced 2–3 feet apart. To produce a longer harvesting season, plant the rows in succession every two weeks for 6–8 weeks. Bush varieties can also be planted in containers, four plants to an 18-inch barrel.

Pole varieties are best planted in hills, with six to eight seeds in each hill, at the base of four 12-foot poles. All four poles should be 12–15 inches apart and tied at the top to form a teepee.

Pole varieties do very well in containers. Plant six seeds near the edge of an 18-inch round container. After planting, insert three 6–10 foot poles in the container and tie the poles at the top to form a teepee. Guide the plants as they emerge from the soil up the poles. You will not have to tie them to the pole.

Both bush and pole varieties have to be fed throughout the growing season. An organic fertilizer like Espoma PlanTone is recommended. For container plants, fertilize every two weeks. For plants grown in the garden, fertilizing every three weeks is recommended.

Magic Beans

Beans should be considered a superfood. One cup of an average bean has 15 grams of protein, 1 gram of fat, and 15 grams of fiber. They also contain zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, and vitamins B1, B6, E, and K. o

Barbara Melera is president of Harvesting History (www.harvesting-history.com), a company that sells horticultural and agricultural products, largely of the heirloom variety, along with garden tools and equipment.