Pole beans are great if you live in a small space as they grow vertically, offering you more space to grow other veggies in your garden! Pole beans also produce fruit over a longer period and produce more than their counterpart bush beans.

Pole beans are climbers, so you will need to have a sturdy trellis in place before you plant your beans. Make sure your trellis is well anchored and strong as your beans will grow to the top of the trellis and then keep going.

A great plant variety that isn’t too big for containers is Scarlet Runner. Pole beans take longer to grow than bush beans, and they don’t need additional planting unlike bush beans.

How do I Grow Beans?

Growing pole beans is similar to growing bush beans. The biggest difference being that pole beans climb.

Most beans with the exception of fava (broad) will not survive in cold weather.  Beans that have been grown in cool soil will germinate slower and are more prone to disease later in life. 

Sow the bean seeds 1 inch deep and 4 inches apart, the seeds will sprout in 5-10 days. When the beans have developed fruit big enough to enjoy its time to harvest them, make sure to pick the beans often as beans become less productive as summer wears on.  

Companion Plants

Carrot, catnip, cucumber, dill, nasturtium, marigold, oregano, peas, radish

Harvesting

For harvesting the beans, break or cut each stem holding a bean pod, but don’t pull the plant, you could break the vine. The best beans are the small and tender ones, so pick those and try not let the beans get to big because they will lost their best flavour. Regularly harvesting your beans will produce more and better tasting pods.

Nutrition

A source iron, calcium, vitamin A & C

Preparing and using

If you don’t plan on using your beans right away, wash them and place in the fridge. Beans don’t store well, so they need to be used quickly after you pick them. They can be eaten raw or you can steam, boil, or stir fry them.  

Helpful Tips and Tricks

Try dipping your seeds in an inoculant to increase the nitrogen in the soil.