Beans
UC Links
How to grow: Beans
Pest management: Bean cultural tips, pests, and diseases
The Basics
When to plant
- Direct seed or transplant: April–June
- For best results, wait to direct seed until daytime temperatures are regularly over 70 degrees and soil temperature is over 60 degrees. Direct-seeded beans will rot if the soil is too cold.
Harvest window: 50–100 days depending on variety.
Care overview
- Nitrogen fertilizer is not needed because beans are legumes that can fix nitrogen from the air.
- For a continuous harvest of bush beans, plant successive crops 2 to 3 weeks apart.
- Pole beans bear over a longer period than bush beans but require trellising.
Additional link: Long Bean Trial
Recommended Varieties for Santa Clara County*
Blue Lake Stringless | Pole, green pod |
Spanish Musica | Pole, broad green pod |
Kwintus | Pole, green pod |
Chinese Green Noodle | Pole, 20" long pods, bright green |
Taiwan Black Seeded | Pole, 38" long pods, black seeds |
Blue Lake 274 | Bush, green pod |
Greencrop | Bush, green pod |
Other recommended varieties:
- Bush beans: Beurre De Roquencourt, Greencrop, Landreth Bush, Nickel, Purple Podded, Roc d’Or, Royal Burgundy, Slankette, Strike
- Pole beans: Blue Lake, Dutch White Runner, Emerite, Fortex, Kentucky Blue, Marvel of Venice
* Many other varieties may also do well here in Santa Clara County. This list is based on UC Master Gardener trials, taste tests, and feedback from local growers.