lexusnexus
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Green Pole Beans

I have both pole and bush bean planted to see which we like best. For pole beans we have Kentucky Blue and Monte Gusto (both from Burpee). The Monte Gusto (yellow beans) are doing great, and growing good tendrils that are going up the trellis beautifully. The green are growing great but have shown no tendrils. Does anyone have any experience with this variety? Should I just train the plants up the trellis, or will they eventually grow tendrils?

imafan26
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Bush beans don't really get very tall and they don't make tendrils like the pole beans. Pole beans will give you a few beans every couple of days for about 6 weeks. Bush beans will put mos of their flowers and beans out around the same time so you will have more beans to harvest at one time but they will finish producing shortly after that.

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applestar
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Generally speaking, I prefer pole beans For growing because it's easier to harvest the hanging pods and they are sturdier and need less care.

Bush beans will flop over, often drag the bean pods in the ground where they are more readily within reach of slugs and sawbugs/pill bugs, cutworms, etc. I put up cheap wire border fence or string lines alongside to support them.

They are back breaking to harvest -- all hiding under the leaves. So I usually flop them over one way, then flop them over the other way.

Both pole beans and bush beans will need to be harvested every other day once they start producing.

But the bush beans tend to have more tender texture. So I end up growing some every year. Also, bush beans are handy for filling open spots either before larger plants need the space or after something has been harvested. Bush beans mature quicker and usually with the short harvest period, can be taken out quicker. And cutting at the soil level will quickly cause the roots to break down and release some of the remaining stored nitrogen. Tops can be dried and used as mulch.

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digitS'
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Dan,

Are you saying that your Kentucky Blue beans are not growing tendrils and not climbing?

My neighbor is very dedicated to having that variety each year. It grows and climbs his trellises well. Could there be a mix up in packaging your seed?

Steve

lexusnexus
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Steve,

The plants are growing as tall as the yellow pole beans, but no tendrils. Strange, but the green pole beans are definitely not bush beans. It's possible there is mislabeling issue. So far this year I am not impressed with Burpee seeds, and others in our Master Gardener group are having the same poor performance issue I am experiencing with some of their seeds.

I'll watch the green pole beans for awhile since they are at least growing well at this point in time. How are your friend's beans doing this year (if they have been planted by now)? I was convinced by some of my classmates in the Master Gardener class earlier this year to give them a try.

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digitS'
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I haven't been over there lately but our pole beans (Cascade Giants) only just have their true leaves. It isn't likely the neighbor's are any further along.

Kentucky Blue are nice green beans ... from the observer's standpoint ;). DW has this "thing" about bean appearance. She wants Jade bush beans every year. I don't expect a bean to be attractive :roll: . Yes, she leaves the homely pole beans to me. (Cascade Giant is a Rattlesnake bean. Just knowing that probably keeps her from eating them.)

I suspect all seed companies have problems with seeds, now and then. Several hybrid tomato seed packages have had a number of off-type seedlings - unlike anything I was growing. I bet the people with the pollen brushes missed a few flowers. I've bought a mislabeled celosia two years running from one outfit. It isn't that I don't like it but noncompliance with catalog description might make enemies. I haven't quite started sharpening my weeding knife ... but, a gardener usually has to wait 12 months to correct a mistake. Or, with me, 24 ... and counting.

;) Steve

Rairdog
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My Blue Lake put out tendrils much faster than the Kentucky Wonders. The later grow faster at first and are much larger. The hybrid Kentucky Blue is probably picking up the trait of getting larger before putting out tendrils.

gumbo2176
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If you want fast growing bean plants and great production, try Japanese Yard Longs, also known as Asparagus Beans. I put seeds in the ground just over 2 weeks ago and the vines are already hitting the top of my 6+ft. trellis. They put out single vines at first, fill out then produce the beans, and when they do you can almost watch them lengthen.

My Kentucky Wonders are very bushy and it seems to be hit and miss with how much they produce. Some days I only get 20-30 beans and then on others 60-70. They are growing on my smallest trellis that is 12 ft. long and just over 6 ft. high.

I planted some bush beans just a few days ago and they are already up and growing, but it will be several weeks before they start producing. I figure by the time the Kentucky Wonders are done, they will kick in and I will plant some Rattlesnake Beans on the trellis for later harvest.

Yes, we like our beans. LOL

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I have been wanting to try Yard Long and Rattlesnake.....and Scarlet. I used to grow Roma's in bush. They are some of my favorites and have a meaty flavor. I know there are Roma pole beans out there but I have not found them. I've only had the Yard Longs stir fried. How are they with ham/sausage and potatoes. I need about 15 gallon bags in the freezer for winter to get us through until next harvest.

Side note..... When you get tired of the same ole beans with sausage and potatoes try adding some greens. We freeze broccoli, kale, kohlrabi and other leaves to add to the pot. Gives a nice boost of vitamins and changes the flavor.

My old spots were getting problems and they needed rotated. I built a tunnel of love (our beans) that leads to the river. They are just getting started. At the edge of the road are Cherokee Purple tomato's. At the edge of the river you can see to white stakes which are cherry tomatoes. Hopefully it will be like a green bean telescope when filled in lol.
Image

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jal_ut
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" Does anyone have any experience with this variety? Should I just train the plants up the trellis, or will they eventually grow tendrils?"

Hmm, seems some I have grown did not have tendrils at all, the vines just wound around the bean poles and went up. Give 'em a chance and see what they do.

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applestar
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Yes, I was a little confused by this as well. Pole bean vines wind around and don't grow separate "tendrils" like peas or cucumbers.... But that's why they are good at climbing thicker supports like poles while peas and Cukes need thinner supports like strings or wire fences.

lexusnexus
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Kind of looks like there won't be any tendrils at this point on the green pole beans. I'll just train the vines up the trellis. I've also put a coat of Kaolin Clay (Surround) on the leaves to keep the beetles of them. Something was attacking my bush bean leaves, although I couldn't find any critters on the front or back of the leaves. So I sprayed them as well.

imafan26
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Kentucky blues are a cross between Kentucky Wonder and Blue Lake. I have grown both beans and they are good. I can't grow Kentucky Wonder anymore because it gets rust, I have switched to Poamoho which was developed from Manoa Wonder which actually came from Kentucky Wonder. The local variety just does better with the diseases.

you are right beans tend to wind on my wire trellis rather than attach with tendrils like peas or cucumbers.

If you are growing asparagus beans there is a short one that is more tender and a red one called red noodle.

lexusnexus
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Maria and I are at the airport flying to Providence, so when I get home I'll take a picture of my home built trellis to post here. Pretty proud of it. It's built from pressure treated wood and is about 8' tall.

Rairdog
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I meant runners, not tendrils. The KW seem to get a little bushier and larger than the BL before sending a runner from the main grow tip.

SINCE....I have both that will grow on each side of my trellis and meet at the top, I should have some that cross. This is right next to a HUGE carpenter bee nesting area. I also have LOTS of bumble bees and of course Honey bees. I have found the local BB, CB's and sweat bee's are the ones that pollinate the bean flowers.

NOW....will the pods still have white beans(BL) or brown beans(KY) if they cross the first year? I know with peppers and tomato's the fruit will look and taste the same. The seeds will grow an unstable variation the next year. Does this hold true for runner/pole beans?

UrbanFarmerJon
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Here's a pic of my KY Wonder beans. These were planted in a group of 8 on May 27th. Only 2 actually sprouted. I replanted more this past weekend.
June 6th
June 6th
June 14th.
June 14th.
Not sure if this helps with a visual of how the tendrils should look.



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