Bean Pencil Pod Black Wax Bush – McKenzie Seeds McKenzie Seeds

Planting Instructions: 

Garden Beans require warm soil and good growing conditions. The seeds will decay quickly when planted in cold wet soil. 

Beans do best when planted in full sun. Warm, well drained soil is best.   Planting where beans and peas have not been grown for at least a year will help reduce insect and disease problems.

• Once danger of frost has passed and the soil has warmed, directly sow bean seeds into gardens or raised beds.
• Seeds germinate in approximately 6-14 days.
• Bush Beans: Sow seed 2.5 cm (1”) deep. Space seeds approximately 10 cm (4”) apart. Space rows 60 cm (24”) apart.

Bush beans produce an entire crop all at once while pole beans produce over the entire growing season. Keeping beans picked on both types of plants will increase production. Depending on the needs of the gardener, those who want to can or freeze a lot of beans may want to grow bush beans for a large harvest all at once where planting pole varieties will allow the gardener to harvest all season long but making succession plantings of bush beans will produce similar results.

Don’t work in bean patch while plants are wet/damp – this will help reduce the spread of disease

Make sure plants receive adequate moisture during and immediately after flowering and once pods have formed to ensure a higher yield of nicely shaped beans.

Pole beans need support to climb. Use poles, strings, trellises or make tepees for the beans to climb.

Harvesting and Storage

• Beans can be picked when pods are young and tender.
• Harvest often to increase yields.
• Remove pods that are too old for eating as the old pods take away nutrients from developing pods and reduce yields – if pods get large with seed, the plant will stop flowering