Bush vs. Pole Beans: Differences and Growing Tips
Have you ever planted a pole bean not knowing it would climb nearby plants? It’s a common mistake! Read as experienced gardener and master naturalist Sarah Jay outlines the differences between pole and bush beans.
Contents
I made the mistake one year of planting Anasazi beans thinking they were a pole type. Imagine my surprise when the trellis I provided had few climbing tendrils. This wasn’t a total wasted effort, but it gave me an indication that knowing the difference between bush vs. pole beans is important.
While there are many iterations, a three sisters garden requires pole beans that climb the stalk of a sunflower or corn. The nitrogen-fixing potential will be there regardless, but bush beans will only shade out the squash, which acts as a living mulch. In this gardening method, vertically growing beans are a must.
So, let’s discuss the differences between these types of beans, and cover some tips about growing each type. Neither is particularly difficult to grow, but knowing the difference saves you a headache later into the season.
What’s the Difference?
When we look at which type of bean to grow, we consider growth habits and care needs as the distinguishing markers. To provide some context, it’s good to know that bush beans were cultivated from wild climbing types. Common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) have been present in Central America since 800 BC. Through consistent selection and cross-breeding wild climbers with other beans with a lower stature, bush beans were developed.
Bush plants are shorter, topping out at two to three feet. They produce their beans over a more condensed period of time and have a generally shorter life span. When you plant your bush types, you’ll have a ready harvest within 50 to 60 days. You don’t have to maintain bush types as much, but they do tend to attract more pests and diseases due to their cultivated origins.
Pole beans are much taller, reaching 10-15 feet. They are ready to harvest within 60 to 70 days. They climb, so a trellis or ample space is needed for their vines. A trellis makes pole bean maintenance easier. It’s common to pinch them as they reach the top of their trellis. This vertical growth and their wilder nature make them more resistant to diseases.
There is a secret third kind of bean: half-runner beans. These still climb, like pole beans do, but they require a shorter trellis as they have a shorter stature. Thus they need less maintenance. Whether or not they are more or less pest and disease-resistant is dependent on the variety.
Pole Beans
If you want to grow pole beans, there are plenty of awesome varieties out there. Before we get to that, here are a few tips for growing them.
First, acquire a good trellis for growing them. While a bamboo pole is a decent support, you’ll be better off with an A-frame trellis or an Epic V-trellis. Both of these make the trellising process much easier. In both cases, the structure is already built out. All you have to do is stick yours in the ground and ensure it stays there through the season.
If you purchased an Epic Gardening Box raised bed, there’s a handy extension trellis that can support your pole beans and a climbing squash as well. Altneratively, there’s room for more than one bean plant on this trellis, and it fits right into the box easily with very little effort needed for assembly.
A trellis is the key with pole beans. As they grow, pinch them to promote lateral growth. When they get to the top of the trellis, pinch them back to the prior bud to ensure they have the support they need.
As you’re doing this, remove any diseased leaves or vines. Check for pests, like bean beetles, thrips, and armyworms, and take them out while you’re at it. When harvest time comes, you won’t have difficulty finding the pods as they’ll be visible against the supports.
‘Trionfo Violetto’
With a name that translates to “purple triumph,” what more could you ask for in an Italian heirloom? These beans are delicious and add a pop of purple in their lovely lavender blooms and violet pods. When you cook the beans, they turn green. These climb to six to eight feet tall, and produce beans in 64 to 75 days.
‘Kentucky Wonder’
An heirloom from the 1800s, Kentucky Wonder provides vines that reach five to seven feet. They have a standard look, with green pods that are slightly oval. These grow to nine inches long in optimal conditions. As for the beans, you can dry them, shell them, or eat them as green beans. If you harvest them young, they have no strings. Mature beans are ready in 63 days.
‘Orient Wonder Yard-Long’
Yard-long beans are lovers of high heat, and this variety is no exception. On six to eight-foot vines, you’ll have 12 to 30-inch-long pods after 80 days. These are great for sautéing in your favorite oil or butter. Yard-long beans are perfect for areas with frequent climatic fluctuations, as they withstand swiftly changing conditions easily. This is the choice for a climate resilience gardener.
Bush Beans
If bush beans make more sense in your garden, there are a few things to remember. Firstly, pick a variety that is best adapted to your climate. If you have a short season because you live in a cooler climate, choose one that has a short range of days to harvest.
Space your plants adequately to prevent the proliferation of pests and diseases. With that in mind, scout for pests and diseases regularly. Look out for your regular pests, the mottling characteristic of mosaic virus, and any leaf blights. Act quickly if you notice something out of whack.
With bush beans, you harvest those beans all at once, after a period of a couple of months. If you have tons of bush beans at harvest time, can them, freeze them, or even freeze-dry green bean varieties to ensure your harvest doesn’t go to waste.
‘Blue Lake 274’
If you’re growing in a container, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a variety as reliable as Blue Lake 274. This green bean plant grows no larger than 18 inches tall, and produces a plentiful crop of six inch pods. Blue Lake resists two types of mosaic virus, and adds a dash of purple color to gardens with its delicate blooms. Pick yours young for stringless pods.
‘Trio’
If you can’t decide which color is your favorite, choose Trio bush beans. This one includes ‘Blue Lake 274’, ‘Resistant Cherokee Wax’, and ‘Purple Queen’. All of these are best eaten whole, and the plants stay below two feet tall. ‘Cherokee Wax’ beans are stringless no matter their maturity. And you’ll have the same disease resistance with your ‘Blue Lake 274’ variety as well.
‘Jade’
For consistency, there is ‘Jade’. The pods are uniformly straight and stringless, making them an excellent green bean. Even though these plants don’t need trellising, they remain upright, preventing tip rot. These plants tolerate heat and cold more than our other bush bean selections. They can also handle mosaic viruses 1 and NY15, and tolerate curly top virus and rust.
