Growing Beans in a Short Season: Bush, Pole and When to Sow
Beans are easy, productive and a great crop for kids to grow. In a short season, the only real rule is patience in spring: beans are warm-season plants, and seed sown into cold soil simply rots.
The short answer
- Sow on or after your last frost, once the soil is at least 15°C.
- Sow directly, 2.5 to 5 cm deep and about 10 cm apart, in rows 30 to 45 cm apart.
- Do not soak the seed and do not start beans indoors.
- Sow every 2 weeks until mid-June. Choose varieties under 70 days in the far north.
Based on the University of Saskatchewan bean guide.
Soil temperature is everything
At 15°C or warmer, beans germinate in 8 to 12 days, fastest at 21°C and up. Below 15°C, seed may rot, or take two weeks or more to come up. A soil thermometer saves a lot of reseeding. To warm soil sooner, use raised beds or lay clear plastic on the bed after snowmelt and remove it before sowing.
Bush or pole?
- Bush beans grow about 30 to 45 cm tall, need no support and produce over a few weeks. Best for short seasons.
- Pole beans climb up to 3 m and need a trellis, but they keep producing longer in a small space.
Varieties
- Bush (NDSU, via USask): Provider, Jade II, Royal Burgundy, Bush Blue Lake 274, Crockett, Derby, Strike, Espada.
- Wax (yellow): Gold Rush, Carson, Borsalino.
- Pole: Fortex, Seychelles, Monte Cristo, Stringless Blue Lake.
- Dry: Great Northern, Arikara Yellow.
Provider is a reliable early choice for cool soil, and purple Royal Burgundy makes beans easy to spot when picking.
Planting
- Water the bed well after sowing rather than soaking the seed.
- Sow every 2 weeks until mid-June for a continuous harvest.
- Do not transplant; beans dislike root disturbance.
Care
- About 2.5 cm of water a week, especially during and after flowering.
- Mulch to keep the soil evenly moist.
- Avoid extra nitrogen fertilizer, which causes leafy plants with few pods. Beans make their own nitrogen.
- Full sun gives the best yield.
Harvest
- Pods are ready about 3 weeks after flowering.
- Pick snap beans slightly immature, before the seeds bulge and the pods get tough.
- Harvest often, even daily, to keep plants producing.
- Pick when the leaves are dry, holding the stem with one hand.
- For dry beans, wait until pods are dry and the beans rattle.
Beans are tender to frost, so pick everything usable before the first fall frost.
Keep reading
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I plant beans?
On or after your last spring frost, once the soil is at least 15°C. Seed rots in colder soil.
Should bean seeds be soaked before planting?
No. Soaking can cause rot. Water the bed well after sowing instead.
Are bush or pole beans better for a short season?
Bush beans are usually better. They mature quickly and need no support.
Why do my beans have lots of leaves but few pods?
Often too much nitrogen fertilizer. Beans make their own nitrogen, so extra feeding delays and reduces the crop.
