Pole Beans

As the name rightly suggests, pole beans require poles for support, as they are true vines. As compared to bush beans, pole beans are preferred, as the latter are said to taste better and are also sweeter and tender. These beans are also preferred for growing at home, as they require less space and produce a better yield, in comparison to bush beans.

More About Pole Beans

Green beans are basically categorized into pole beans and bush beans. While, bush beans are shrubs, pole beans are vines. Both these types come in numerous varieties. Bush beans are shrubs that can grow to a height of around 18 to 20 inches and produce beans all at once. In case of pole beans, the vines need to be provided with support, but, they produce beans throughout the growing season. If you want a regular supply of green beans throughout the summer, you have to grow successive crops of bush beans, but, this is not needed in case of pole beans. Apart from that, pole beans is said to taste better than its counterpart. You may come across several varieties with different colors, shapes and sizes. Even the size and shape of the pods vary with each type.

How to Grow Pole Beans

The site for planting pole beans must have full sun and well-drained rich soil. Once the location is decided, prepare the soil by tilling and adding compost and other manure. It is always better to plant them after the last frost. The soil must get warm (75-85 degrees), before you plant the seeds. As pole beans are true vines that require support, you have to provide them with stakes. You may either plant them on hills or in rows.

Building Trellis
Create a small mount of soil with a diameter of six inches and a height of around three inches. If there are more than one soil mount, then, make sure that they are at least eight feet apart. Mark a circle (with a diameter of 4 feet) around the soil mount. Dig six holes at equal distances, along the diameter of the circle. The holes must have a depth of around 20 to 25 inches. Collect some 6-8 foot bamboo poles and fix the poles in them. Now, join the top ends of the poles with a plastic zip tie. Your teepee trellis for the pole beans vines is ready. If there are more soil mounts, then, you have to construct such trellis around those mounts too.

Growing and Harvesting
Once you are done with the trellis, plant four to five pole beans seeds on each hill. Lightly water the soil, for around two weeks, which is the usual time taken by these seeds to germinate. Once the seedlings appear, let them grow for a while, before you remove one or two-week ones from each mount. As they grow, train the vines up the poles. It will be better to retain the moisture of the soil, throughout the growing season. Mulching is very much appreciated in case of pole beans, as it helps to retain moisture. Moderate watering will be sufficient for the plants till flowering. As you start harvesting, deeply water the soil once a week. Harvesting is best done, when the pods inside the beans are not that big. Avoid harvesting after watering, as this may make the plants prone to fungal infections. Pluck off the beans, instead of pulling at them. The latter method may harm the plants.

In short, growing pole beans at home is not a difficult task. These plants will provide you with fresh supply of green beans throughout the summer. Cooking these beans is also very easy. You may cut and boil these beans and serve it with butter. You may also saute them with olive oil and serve with salt and pepper.