Blue Lake Pole Bean

Seed Count: Approx. 15 Seeds 

Days to Maturity: 75 days

Pole variety, Green/String Bean

Description:  The Blue Lake Pole bean is an American heirloom that produces delicious, fairly straight, 4-6 inch, stringless, tender, versatile beans.  These 8-12 ft. vines, are very productive, setting beans from the bottom of the plant, all the way up to the top, and will easily outperform other varieties all season long.  The Blue Lake Pole bean stores well, and can be pickled, canned, or frozen.  But honestly, they're so good I rarely have enough leftover for storage purposes, and often times I just eat them fresh off the vines.  To enjoy their tenderness, make sure you harvest these beans when young.  They're super easy to grow, and are perfect for creating bean teepees.  

How To Grow

Sowing:  Beans thrive in heat and humidity.  They should be direct sown when the weather is fairly warm, and the soil temp. reaches at least 75 degrees F. Plant in average soil. Too much fertilizer will burn your bean plants.; these beans like full sun. Plant the seeds 1" deep and 3" apart, later thinning to 6-8" apart. Keep the ground moist until germination, which should occur within 7-10 days.

Growing:  Beans need to be trained on a trellis of at least 7' to support its vigorous vining habits. Protection may be needed, if cold weather threatens. Since dry weather stunts the growth of the pods, water the plants when the soil completely dries out, but do not keep them swamped with water. Watch out for aphids and mites, which can be a big problem with this bean. Plant with marigolds, corn, potatoes, and eggplants.  However, avoid growing near all members of the allium family, and sunflowers.

Harvesting:  Pick the beans for fresh eating, and check the vines often. Fresh beans are best used immediately, but will keep in the fridge for several days. To save seeds, allow the pods to mature fully and dry on the vine. If frost or rainy weather threatens before your beans are dry, pull the plants and allow them to dry indoors. They should be completely dry 10-15 days later. Remove the seeds from the pods by hand, and store the seeds in a cool, dry place for up to 3 years.