Beans
UC Links
How to grow
Beans, UC Davis, Vegetable Research and Information Center
Pest management
Bean cultural tips, pests, and diseases, UC Integrated Pest Management
The Basics
When to plant
- Direct seed or transplant: April–June
- For best results, wait to direct seed until daytime temperatures are consistently above 70°F and the soil temperature is above 60°F. 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 fruit over a longer period than bush beans, but they require trellising.
Additional link
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-inch long pods, bright green |
| Taiwan Black Seeded | Pole, 38-inch 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.