I decided to try growing some pole beans for the first time this year. It looks like they are growing well (they trellised up my corn), but how do I know when they’re ready to harvest? I’m in southern Maine.
by DM_Matt
12 Comments
redheadMInerd2
Wooden Pencil size and full of beans. It appears that all of those are ready.
TehWang
You could grab em now for green beans, or let em hang and mature to get beans/next years seed!
kuhkuhkuhK8
My kids always know because they snack-snatch them every time they come into the garden. 🤣❤️
IMO, for the bush beans I have this year, girth is often the deciding factor. Looking for around the width of a school pencil. The beans you have pictured look ready. 👏👏👏
Living-in-liberty
Are you trying for green beans or letting them dry out to store as dry beans? I let my beans dry out in the pod. The pod turns brown and the beans get hard. They can even rattle around inside. If you just want green beans those look ok to me.
SwiftResilient
If they’re snap beans, try to pick before they get larger than 6-8″ as they’ll taste better
RedbeardthePaperPshr
I waited too long this year, now mine are tough
Bob_Bobaggins
If you wait for them to “have beans” as others have said you risk the plant stopping production. If you allow the beans to fully develop it sends a signal to the plant that it has produced viable seeds and passed its genetics. The plant will then begin senescence and eventually die. When you pick the bean younger the plant is signaled to create more beans as it has yet to produce seed. Many plants including most bean plants will respond with greater production.
C_Brutaninadilewski
The one at your pinky is perfect. If they get too much bigger than that, even the stringless varieties can develop strings and begin to withdraw the moisture from their seed casings, toughening them. You can eat them any time before that, too.
DM_Matt
Thank you so much everyone! I’m learning so much just being in this subreddit, y’all are awesome!
friedducky
You can pick green beans whenever you want. I usually pick them a bit earlier than average because I prefer them tender. The later you pick, the more stringy and large they get. I personally would pick them when they’re a bit thinner than the ones you have there, but those are about average picking size for most folks.
Note that if you let them get too mature, the plant will stop producing new beans because it assumes it got its seed out there for the next generation. If you keep picking them young, the plant will keep producing more through the season.
12 Comments
Wooden Pencil size and full of beans. It appears that all of those are ready.
You could grab em now for green beans, or let em hang and mature to get beans/next years seed!
My kids always know because they snack-snatch them every time they come into the garden. 🤣❤️
IMO, for the bush beans I have this year, girth is often the deciding factor. Looking for around the width of a school pencil. The beans you have pictured look ready. 👏👏👏
Are you trying for green beans or letting them dry out to store as dry beans? I let my beans dry out in the pod. The pod turns brown and the beans get hard. They can even rattle around inside. If you just want green beans those look ok to me.
If they’re snap beans, try to pick before they get larger than 6-8″ as they’ll taste better
I waited too long this year, now mine are tough
If you wait for them to “have beans” as others have said you risk the plant stopping production. If you allow the beans to fully develop it sends a signal to the plant that it has produced viable seeds and passed its genetics. The plant will then begin senescence and eventually die. When you pick the bean younger the plant is signaled to create more beans as it has yet to produce seed. Many plants including most bean plants will respond with greater production.
The one at your pinky is perfect. If they get too much bigger than that, even the stringless varieties can develop strings and begin to withdraw the moisture from their seed casings, toughening them. You can eat them any time before that, too.
Thank you so much everyone! I’m learning so much just being in this subreddit, y’all are awesome!
You can pick green beans whenever you want. I usually pick them a bit earlier than average because I prefer them tender. The later you pick, the more stringy and large they get. I personally would pick them when they’re a bit thinner than the ones you have there, but those are about average picking size for most folks.
Note that if you let them get too mature, the plant will stop producing new beans because it assumes it got its seed out there for the next generation. If you keep picking them young, the plant will keep producing more through the season.
“Would I eat it right now?”
Yes: harvest
No: dont harvest
that’s when about as long as a finger.
When they get too big they get tough and stringy