Bush versus Pole

Beans are classified by their growth habit. Bush-type beans produce 2-foot-tall plants. Plant seeds 1 inch deep and 4 to 5 inches apart and space the rows 2 to 3 feet apart. For a continuous supply, make successive sowings of bush beans every 2 to 3 weeks through mid-summer.

Pole beans can climb 6 to 10 feet on a tall trellis, a 4-pole teepee, a single stake, an arbor or a large mesh fence where their tendrils can wrap around a support. If you’re using poles, plant 7 seeds at the base of each pole.

I like pole beans because they take up less space in the garden. They take a little longer than bush beans to begin producing, but they also out produce bush beans, producing pods for 2 to 3 months. Bush beans, on the other hand, produce for about 3 weeks and must be replanted for an ongoing harvest. Depending on the variety, pole beans may be yellow, purple, filet, yard-long, wax, string, stringless or Romano types.

Edamame (pronounced “eh-dah-mah-meh”) is an edible specialty soybean from Asia that has become increasingly popular in this country. Rich in protein, calcium and vitamins A and B, each pod yields three to four beans that can be cooked after shelling. Or you can boil whole pods in lightly salted water for a shell-it-yourself snack. In Japan, the pods are popped open and eaten like peanuts from a shell.

Reading the Seed Packet

When planting summer crops, keep in mind that they mature more slowly than spring-planted crops. The daylight grows shorter and is less intense as we move toward fall. Using the days-to-maturity figure on the seed packet, I add an extra 14 days to the harvest time to factor in the shorter daylight. So, if the packet says 45 days to harvest, I add another 14 to be on the safe side. In the Chicago area, our first fall frost tends to occur about October 15 and all beans must be harvested by then. With that in mind, I work backwards from October 15, figuring 59 days is needed. I would sow bean seeds by mid-August for a mid-October harvest.