It’s important that you know the difference between bush beans and pole beans, especially if you are planning on growing them in your garden. Although both of them are a part of green bean varieties, the way the plant grows lead to the different naming of the term. If you want to grow this type of bean at home, you need to understand the requirements. Different size or space availability will lead to different decisions of which type to choose.
Pole Beans: What to Know about It
As stated before, there are two growing styles of green bean: pole and bush. Pole beans are also called runner beans. They grow on climbing vines, so the plants can be tall. Some of the most popular varieties include Scarlet Runner, Kentucky Wonder Pole, Blue Lake Pole, and Kentucky Blue.
To understand the difference between bush beans and pole beans, you need to know each of their characteristics. The characteristics of the pole beans are:
The plant is tall, up to 12 feet of height (the minimum height would be 6 feet). Because of the big size, the plant won’t do well in limited space. You need a lot of space to accommodate its growth.
It needs support or trellises. From the name alone, you can guess that the plant needs solid support. You can use cornstalk (the sturdy one), tepee, fence, or trellis to accommodate the growth.
It is tougher when it comes to diseases. When compared to other bean varieties, pole beans are a bit tougher and hardier. It’s not sensitive to various diseases that may affect bush beans.
It has a longer production time to produce crops. Expect to have 10 extra days (15 days max) to generate yields.
It has a longer harvest period. Because the plant can get energy from the leaves and vines, they are able to produce beans again and again.
What to Know about Bush Beans
As you are more familiar with the difference between bush beans and pole beans, you’d know that bush beans grow on a bushy and short plant. The popular varieties include Kentucky Wonder Bush, Masai (or Filet), Roma II (or Romano), and Blue Lake Bush. The special characteristics are:
It can only grow up to 2 feet of height. The bush form isn’t big or tall. The plant is commonly 2 feet wide and also 2 feet tall. It means that you shouldn’t have any issue growing them in a smaller space or limited garden.
It doesn’t need support. Because of their ‘squatty’ form, you won’t need to provide any support whatsoever. It will do just fine on the ground.
It’s more sensitive to disease. It’s prone against various viruses and diseases, such as mosaic virus, anthracnose, and powdery mildew.
It has a shorter time in production. It doesn’t take long to mature, and even faster to mature when compared to pole beans. After you plant it, wait for 40 days (or max 60 days) to harvest it.
It produces beans (all of them) in just 2 weeks. After 2 weeks, the plant won’t produce anything anymore.
Treating the Seeds during Planting
When it comes to treating the seeds, both types don’t need any different application. So, there won’t be any bush beans vs pole beans seedlings differences. You need to sow those seeds below the soil, up to an inch or 2 inches. Don’t forget to place 2 inches between the plants too. You want to wait until the seeds germinate, and then you can thin the seeds apart. For bush beans, it is 6 inches apart, while pole beans ‘only’ need 3 inches. If you want to plant the bush beans within a row, you need to have 18 inches between rows.
Careful Consideration
When you want to grow one of them in your garden, think about these factors:
Size of your space. Do you have a large space in your garden or is it small? Can you accommodate extra spacing or are you left with a compact arrangement?
Harvest requirements. Do you want to have constant supply without stopping or is it okay to have a stop for once in a while?
The need for support. Does your garden have the support needed, in case you want to grow the pole beans?
Once you understand the basic requirements to grow the bean type you like, you can proceed with your gardening project. When you know the basic difference between bush beans and pole beans, planning the next step would be easier.