- Location: OECC and OPL
- Scientific Name: Phaseolus Vulgaris
- Planting Instructions: Plant Green/String Beans in late Spring, and let mature throughout the extreme heat of Summer. Do not plant in shade. Green/String Beans come in two varieties: bush and pole. Plant bush beans in single rows 4-6 inches apart. Plant pole beans 6 inches apart with trellising. (You can make trellises out of string, stakes, chicken wire etc. Just make sure to stabilize vines with a tall and sturdy material for tendrils to cling to.) Bush beans begin producing before pole beans, and often come in all at once. Plant bush beans in waves to ensure continuous harvest. Plant in hot, moderately-rich soil, 1-2 inches deep. Water immediately and regularly until seeds sprout. Pole beans may need some initial help climbing your trellises. You should coax the vines around your trellises until they are able to climb and wind themselves. Bush beans will grow about 2-feet tall and 1-foot wide; pole beans can grow almost 10-feet tall. Bush beans take 50-55 days to mature; pole beans take closer to 60 days. Harvesting is an ongoing process–the more beans you pick, the more the plant will grow. You can start to harvest any time, but gardeners usually wait until pods are firm and can be snapped. Make sure to harvest before pods become thick as a pencil and before you can see beans bulging inside pods, however, as these descriptions mark an over-ripe bean. Harvest by gently pulling each bean from the vine.
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