Planting Pole Beans to Boost Yields and Save Space

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.

Planting pole beans should be on the to-do list of every vegetable gardener. Not only are they a reliable crop, but the vining plants are serious space savers and produce a far larger harvest than bush beans when given the same square footage. In this article you’ll learn when and how to plant pole beans, the best site for the vines, and how to care for the plants to ensure the best possible harvest of tender snap beans.

Why you should be planting pole beans in your garden

I grow a wide selection of vegetables like tomatoes, peas, beets, lettuce, and cucumbers. But, between you and I, it’s the snap beans that I’m most impatient to harvest. They were the first crop I grew as a child and I fell in love with their tender buttery pods and fresh flavor. Snap beans are legumes, like peas, and there two main types to grow: bush snap beans and pole snap beans.

When given the choice, I’d rather grow pole beans over bush beans. The plants are easy to grow, extremely productive, and the colorful pods are delicious fresh and cooked. Plus you can freeze or can surplus harvests to enjoy that homegrown goodness all year round. Pole beans are a type of snap bean and produce 5 to 8 inch long pods in shades of green, yellow, and purple.

Planting pole beans is an easy way to boost yield without adding more growing space. This is because pole bean plants produce two to three times the amount of pods than bush beans when given the same amount of space. That’s huge! Plus pole beans also crop for weeks longer than bush beans for an extended harvest. And because the vines are growing vertically, the leaves dry off quicker after a rain. This increased air flow helps reduce the occurrence of common plant diseases.

The only downside to planting pole beans is that you need to set up some type of support, although there are plenty of easy options. I use tunnels and trellises but you can also grow the vines up chain link fences or netting. More on how to support pole beans below.

planting pole bean seeds — It isn’t necessary to pre-soak bean seeds. If you do soak them, don’t leave them in the water for longer than 12 hours.

For more advice on planting pole beans, watch this video:

The best site for planting pole beans

Pole beans need full sun and fertile, well-draining soil to ensure good vigor and production. Remove any weeds and work in an inch of compost or aged manure before planting pole beans. I also incorporate a slow release organic vegetable fertilizer to supply nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. It’s also important to note that because pole beans are grown vertically on a structure they should be planted on the north side of the garden. That way they won’t shade nearby crops.

If you don’t have garden space consider planting pole beans in a pot, planter, or other type of container. It should be at least 12 inches in diameter and 12 inches deep, but bigger is better. Insert bamboo posts into the pot to support the growing vines or place the container at the base of a chain link fence or trellis.

How to support pole beans

Before planting pole beans you need to set up the supports. If you wait until the seeds sprout and the plants are actively growing you risk damaging the vines. Most pole beans grow between 6 and 9 feet, depending on the variety. When the vines are loaded with pods they will be quite heavy and need strong supports. Discover a bunch of awesome pole bean support options in this article.

You can DIY or buy structures with popular pole bean supports including trellises, teepees, and tunnels. The type of structure I use depends on the location of the crop. I like to set up cattle panel trellises between my wooden raised beds. This saves so much space and also adds a decorative element to the garden. If I’m growing pole beans at the back of a bed, I’ll use a vertical trellis made from a wire mesh panel. For beans planted in the middle of a bed, a teepee or garden obelisk is best.

planting pole beans in a garden — Pole bean seeds should be planted in late spring once the risk of frost has passed and the soil has warmed.

Learn the right time for planting pole beans

Pole beans are a heat-loving crop and need warm soil and air temperatures to thrive. Don’t rush the seeds into the ground as bean seeds rot in cold wet soil. Instead, wait until the last frost date has passed in late spring. The soil temperature should be at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degrees Celsius).

I plant pole beans in late spring for mid-summer but then I seed a second crop in July for a late summer and early autumn harvest. Be sure to check the ‘days to maturity’ for your selected varieties to make sure you have enough time left in your growing season for a second crop to mature.

If you’re planting pole beans in a brand new bed consider using a legume inoculant when you plant. These natural products contain nitrogen-fixing bacteria which help maximize plant vigor and pod production. Some gardeners like to pre-soak bean seeds for 8 to 12 hours prior to planting with the goal of softening the seed coat and hastening germination. This isn’t necessary, but if you do wish to soak your seeds don’t leave them in water for longer than 12 hours. An overly long soak can damage the seeds and impact germination.

Pole bean teepee — Pole bean plants grow 6 to 9 feet long and need to be supported on sturdy structures.

A step-by-step guide to planting pole beans

Planting pole beans isn’t difficult and with ideal growing conditions the seeds germinate in 8 to 10 days. Here are the 5 steps to successfully planting pole beans.

Step 1 – Prepare the site by removing any weeds, loosening the soil, and amending with organic matter.
Step 2 – Set up supports before you sow the seeds. If you try to erect a trellis or teepee once the plants are growing you risk damaging the seedlings.
Step 3 – Sow pole bean seeds 1 to 1 1/2 inches deep and 3 inches apart at the base of a trellis, bean tower, or tunnel. If the plants will be climbing poles, like those of a bamboo teepee, sow 4 to 6 seeds around the base of each post.
Step 4 – Add a label to the bed to keep track of your pole bean varieties. I like to evaluate all my varieties at the end of the growing season to see how well they performed.
Step 5 – Once the seeds have been planted, water the bed deeply. Continue to maintain a lightly damp soil until the seeds have sprouted and the plants are growing well.

bean flowers — Once the flowers form on pole bean plants, it won’t be long before the tender beans are ready to pick.

Caring for pole beans

Pole beans are fairly hands-off plants, but there are a few tasks you can do to help maximize productivity. Providing the vines with at least an inch of water each week is essential so if there has been little rainfall, grab your watering wand. I use a long-handled watering wand to deliver water right to the soil. Avoid wetting the leaves if possible as this can spread disease. Another option is to use drip irrigation or a soaker hose at the base of the plants.

Watering consistently is especially important when the plants are flowering and producing pods. Drought stress can cause the plants to drop their blossoms. High temperatures also impact pod set. When temperatures are over 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celcius), the flowers may fail to set pods. There’s not much you can do to reduce high temperatures, but increasing watering to twice a week can help.

pole bean plants — Pole bean vines are very vigorous and start to crop about 60 days from planting.

When and how to harvest pole beans

It takes just a few days for pole bean flowers to turn into the tender pods. It’s best to harvest as soon as the pods reach the proper size, usually 5 to 8 inches long, but refer to the seed packet to be sure. Harvesting often and not letting pods overmature on the vines tells the plants to keep producing new flowers and pods. This is a great way to stretch the harvest for as long as possible.

Pole bean pods are produced in clusters and once you’ve determined that your pods are ready to pick, use one hand to hold the stem and the other hand to snap off each pod. Don’t yank them from the plants as this can damage the plants. I collect pole beans in a harvest basket or garden hod.

vegetable garden — Harvest pole beans when the pods are 5 to 8 inches in length and firm. Pick often to encourage heavy flower and pod set.

Pole bean problems

Beans are generally carefree plants, but there are a few pest and disease issues to watch for. Reduce bean problems by practicing a 3 to 4 year crop rotation. Here are 3 common diseases and insects that affect pole beans.

Bean rust – Bean rust is a fungus that affects all parts of the plant. Reddish-brown spots are visible on the leaves and a severe infection results in leaf drop. Practice good garden sanitation and a 3 year crop rotation.
Mexican bean beetles – These are widespread bean pests with both the adult beetles and larvae feeding on bean plants. Organic sprays, like insecticidal soap, are useful, but so is handpicking the adults, larvae, and eggs, and planting flowers and herbs that attract predatory insects. Row covers and insect netting work on bush beans, but it’s hard to effectively cover tall pole bean plants with the gauzy fabric.
Japanese beetles – These invasive beetles are easy to identify as they have shiny green heads and metallic copper colored wing covers. The skeletonize the leaves of affected plants and can impact yield. I handpick them from my plants in the morning when they’re lethargic and drop them in a bucket of soapy water.

Other potential pests include aphids, slugs, deer, and rabbits. To reduce the potential of bean diseases, stay out of the bean patch when the leaves are wet. Splashing water can spread diseases like sclerotinia white mold.

Japanese beetles in garden — Japanese beetles are a common pest on pole beans. I hand pick early in the morning to reduce their populations.

The best pole bean varieties to grow

Flip through any seed catalog and you’ll see that there are many pole bean varieties to grow. Here are 8 of my favorites:

Fortex – I’ve been growing Fortex pole beans for over a decade because I love the extra-long, incredibly tender green pods. Harvest when the beans are between 7 and 11 inches.
French Gold – Yellow beans have always been my favourite type and French Gold is an exceptional variety with round 7 to 9 inch long pods. The filet-type beans are super slim and have a mild sweet flavor.
Seychelles – Seychelles is an award-winning pole bean with vigorous vines that yield a generous crop of deep green pods. The vines are resistant to anthracnose and bean mosaic virus.
Monte Gusto – Monte Gusto is very similar to French Gold and yields a good crop of 7 to 8 inch long slender golden pods. Expect a buttery taste and texture.
Carminat – Love purple snap beans? Try Carminat, an improved variety with slender deep purple pods that grow 8 to 9 inches long. As with other purple varieties the pods turn green when cooked.
Emerite – Emerite is one of my go-to green beans and is classified as a French filet pole bean. That means the bright green pods are very slender and ready to be picked between 4 and 9 inches.
Marvel of Venice – I love growing heirloom varieties in my garden and Marvel of Venice is a traditional wax pole bean with flat, wide pods. It’s also very early to crop.
Rattlesnake – With their green and purple streaks, Rattlesnake pole beans are beautiful and delicious. I like them raw or lightly steamed so they retain that gorgeous pop of purple.

Other outstanding varieties include Kentucky Wonder, Purple Podded Pole, and Red Noodle, one of the more popular types of long beans.