Growing Pole Beans:
How to Grow Pole Beans Organically

Growing pole beans is easy even for beginner gardeners. They grow on vines which must be supported on a trellis, cage or pole, and produce beans continuously throughout their growing period.

There are many varieties of pole beans to choose from, and all are best started from seed. Pole beans need well-drained, moist soil and full sun to partial shade for the highest yields.

• Planting Pole Beans
• Growing Pole Beans
• Harvesting Pole Beans
• Storing Pole Beans and/or Freezing Pole Beans
• Pests & Diseases
• YOUR Advice, Experiences and Photos

Growing Pole Beans: Planting the Seed

Pole beans like lighter soil. If your soil is mostly clay, you'll need to mix in sand or vermiculite to lighten it up.

Pole beans also need support that is about five to eight feet tall. While some gardeners use cages, trellises or poles, many build “teepees” from wood for the pole bean vines to grow on. These can be made from bamboo or other wood or purchased pre-made.

Planting instructions depend on the type of support you use (see snapshot box below). Cover seeds with one inch of soil and lightly compress.

Water pole beans thoroughly after planting and fertilize with an organic garden fertilizer.

Growing Pole Beans: From Germination to Pre-Harvest

Once the pole bean seeds have pushed their way up through the soil, thin the weakest ones and start training the beans to grow up their support.

Use mulch to help the soil retain moisture, and water pole beans at a rate of about one inch (2.54 cm) per week. Wet foliage can encourage disease, so water pole beans as closely to the soil as possible and early in the day to give foliage a chance to dry.

Growing Pole Beans: Harvesting Time

Pole beans are ready to harvest about seven to fourteen days after the pods have flowered and become firm, fully elongated and crisp. You will need to continually monitor the readiness of these beans, as they produce much better if picked regularly (about every 2 to 3 days). Do not wait until the beans inside the pod have become enlarged, unless you intentially want them to mature into shell beans.

You should harvest when foliage is dry and clip beans carefully so as not to damage the branches of the plant.

Storing Pole Beans and Freezing Pole Beans

Pole beans should be used immediately or refrigerated soon after harvest. Place beans in a perforated bag and store in the warmest part of the refrigerator for up to one week.

To prepare for the freezer, blanch beans for 4 minutes, then drain, cool and package in freezer bags or plastic containers.

Pole bean seeds are viable for about three years.

Growing Pole Beans: Pests & Diseases

The following pests and diseases have been known to affect the success of growing Pole Beans. For more information about preventing and controlling them, see Organic Garden Pest Control.

Pests

Aphids Armyworms Bean weevils Corn earworm Cucumber beetles Cutworms Darkling beetles Earwigs

Grasshoppers Leafhoppers Leafminers Loopers Lycaenid pod borers Lygus bugs Nematodes Saltmarsh caterpillar

Seedcorn maggot Snails/slugs Stink bugs Thrips Whiteflies Wireworms

Diseases

Bean rust Curly top Damping off Fusarium root rot

Mosaic viruses Powdery mildew White mold

YOUR Experience & Advice About Growing Pole Beans

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Pole Beans photo is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license.