Basics
Bush beans are the speedsters of the legume world, providing a harvest just 45–50 days after sowing. But because bush beans provide all their harvest over a 10-day to 2-week window, you’ll need to make successive sowings. Many growers rely on bush beans for a first bean crop of the year, and then move to pole beans, which can provide a steady harvest from midsummer until the first frost.
Details
Soil temperature must be above 65°F (18°C) for good germination, with a soil pH of 6.5–6.8. Seeds are viable for up to 4 years.
Ease of Growing
Easy to moderate.
Varieties
Sungold and Rocdor are good yellow-pod beans. Royal Burgundy is a purple-pod bean that tolerates cooler soil. Jade, Blue Lake Bush, and Derby are good choices for green beans. Romano Gold, Navarro, and Roma II yield strong harvests of flat pods. French filet bean choices include green Maxibel, yellow Soleil, and purple Velour beans.
Companions
Similar to pole beans. Beans like cucurbits and Solanaceae family plants. Avoid growing bush beans in the same bed where other beans have been grown in the past 3 years.
How to Grow
Sow directly in blocks or rows, spacing seeds about 2 in. (5 cm) apart. When seedlings emerge, thin to 4 in. (10 cm). Do not soak bean seeds before planting, but spray them lightly with water, sprinkle in some legume inoculant, and shake them up to coat the seeds before planting.
Pests
Similar to pole beans, although they seem to be a greater magnet for Mexican bean beetles.
Diseases
Similar to pole beans, but because they are not open to the air as much as pole bean foliage on a trellis, bush beans are more likely to suffer from anthracnose.
Challenges
Mexican bean beetles can be destructive, especially when they follow successive plantings, becoming a larger problem with each new crop.
Harvesting
Pick beans when young and tender for the best quality. To prevent the spread of fungal diseases, don’t pick beans when the foliage is wet.
Marketing Tips
Mix yellow, green, and purple beans together for a different kind of three-bean salad.
