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Fruit & Vegetables

Bean

Blue Lake Bush

Producing heavy yields, these tender and delicious 5- to 8-in. (13- to 20-cm) pods are excellent fresh, frozen or for canning.

It may be hard to believe, but we actually improved the flavor and tenderness of one of your favorite beans and ended up with a virtually fiber-free bean that is a heavy producer over a long season, and is excellent fresh or frozen. Blue Lake Bush’s plentiful harvest begins in about 58 days after planting in the garden. We find the beans to be at their peak when 6.5 in. (16.5 cm) long. Enjoy a bountiful and extended harvest by picking daily.

Spacing: 8-12in (20-30cm)

Exposure: Full Sun - 6+ hours direct sun

Fruit size: 5-8in (13-20cm)

Days to harvest: 52-65

Growth: Indeterminate

Beans cannot tolerate any frost, so plant after all danger of frost has passed, waiting until the soil is somewhat warm.

• Choose a sunny location (6+ hours of sun) and dig a hole about two times as wide as your pot.

• Remove your plant from the pot by loosening the soil and tipping it out into your hand. Place your plant in the soil about as deep as it was in the pot.

• Refill the space around your plant with soil and press lightly to compact the dirt, keeping your plant firmly in the ground.

• Water immediately to settle the soil, and add more soil as needed, bringing it level to the rest of your garden.

Beans have shallow roots, so using mulch on top of the soil can help hold moisture in and keep weeds down. Water as needed all season to keep soil evenly moist, keeping your eye out for the first sign of wilt. Wilting is a sure sign that your beans need water. Feed with a vegetable fertilizer to ensure your bountiful harvest.

Grow different types of beans for a constant supply and variety of these garden delicacies. The plants may stop producing beans at the hottest point of summer. When temperatures go back down, beans will again begin to grow. Beans are not bothered by many insects or diseases.
Beans can be harvested at any size as long as the pods are firm and crisp. Be sure to pick beans frequently to ensure the crop keeps producing.
Beans are delicious both raw and cooked. Try raw beans in a vegetable tray with dip. Cook beans by steaming, sautéeing, boiling and even grilling.
Beans are probably the most popular vegetable ever, dating back thousands of years.