Saving bean seeds is an easy and thrifty way to keep growing your favorite variety year after year. Find out how to get the seeds off of your bean plants and how to keep them to use next year.
Saving seeds is a good way to save money on gardening, become more self-sufficient, and change a crop to grow best in your area. One of the easiest seeds for beginners is open-pollinated, heirloom bean seeds.
The common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is a grain legume grown for its edible seeds and pods. Numerous cultivars of beans have been developed, including green beans, shelling beans, and dried beans.
Plants are divided into two categories, bush beans and pole beans. Bush beans grow about 1 to 3 feet and tend to produce their crop around the same time. Pole beans, on the other hand, grow 6 to 12 feet tall on poles or trellis supports and keep making new pods until the frost.
Beans are a good crop to start with if you are brand new to seed saving. Bean seeds are large and easy to see and handle. Other than drying, there is no special process required to prepare the seeds for storage.
Beans are self-pollinating and pollination usually happens even before the blossom opens. So they are less likely to cross-pollinate even when growing close to each other. But to be safe, plant different kinds of beans at least 10 to 20 feet apart if you want to save seeds and keep them from pollinating each other.
Green beans are a delicious vegetable that can be grown easily at home with just a packet of seeds. Getting high quality green bean seeds is the first step to growing a bountiful crop in your backyard garden. In this article, we’ll explain everything you need to know about choosing and sourcing green bean seeds to get your plants thriving.
Choose Between Bush or Pole Green Bean Varieties
The two main types of green beans are bush beans and pole beans Bush beans spread out along the ground and only grow 1-2 feet tall, Pole beans require trellising to climb vertically and produce beans through the season,
Bush beans are recommended for beginner gardeners since they are lower maintenance. They produce a single harvest. Some good bush bean varieties include Bush Blue Lake and Bountiful.
Pole beans take more work but produce faster and higher yields. Go for pole beans if you don’t mind trellising. Good varieties are Fortex and Kentucky Wonder.
Consider your gardening experience and space when deciding between bush or pole green bean seeds. Bush beans are simpler for novice gardeners while pole beans generate bigger harvests.
Purchase Reputable Green Bean Seeds
The source of your seeds is very important You want to buy from a reputable company known for quality vegetable seeds Here are some top seed companies to check out
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Burpee – A longtime favorite seed company for home gardeners. Wide selection of both bush and pole green beans.
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Park Seed – Family-owned business with a solid reputation. Diverse green bean seed varieties.
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Seed Savers Exchange – Specializes in heirloom and open-pollinated seeds. Unique green bean choices.
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Johnny’s Selected Seeds – Focus on seeds for commercial growers but also sell to home gardeners. Disease-resistant bean cultivars.
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Territorial Seed Company – Veteran company located in the Pacific Northwest. Organic, non-GMO options available.
When comparing green bean seeds, look for key attributes like disease resistance, robust plants, and high yields. Read seed descriptions carefully and consult reviews.
Buy Earlier Maturing Varieties for Faster Harvests
One factor to consider when selecting green bean seeds is the number of days to maturity. This indicates how long the seeds take to produce mature beans ready for picking.
Bush beans mature quickly in 45-60 days. Pole beans take 50-75 days to mature since they grow more foliage before setting beans.
For impatient gardeners, choose bush bean cultivars with shorter maturity dates around 50 days. Quick maturing pole beans mature in 60-65 days. Spring plantings should focus on fast-growing varieties.
Later summer plantings can include longer maturity pole bean seeds up to 75 days. The warmer weather helps them grow faster to produce before frost.
Prioritize earlier maturity green bean seeds if you want faster harvests for spring and fall crops. Time plantings based on the seed days to maturity.
Purchase Disease-Resistant Varieties for Healthy Plants
Nothing is more frustrating than nurturing green bean plants only to have them decimated by disease. Many common bean diseases like rust, mosaic virus, and blight can quickly defoliate and kill plants.
Luckily, there are disease-resistant green bean seeds available from most seed companies. Resistant varieties have bred-in tolerance to specific pathogens and viruses. Some to look for include:
- Rust resistant – Topnotch, Bronco
- Mosaic virus resistant – Oregon Trail, Jumbo
- Blight resistant – Hialeah, Valley
The seed description will indicate disease resistance. Make sure to buy resistant green bean seeds suited for diseases prevalent in your area. They’ll have the best chance of staying vigorous and producing under disease pressure.
Consider Organic and Heirloom Green Bean Seeds
In addition to typical hybrid green bean seeds, you can also source organic and heirloom bean seeds for your garden.
Organic seeds are from plants grown without synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. They produce beans free of chemical residues. Territorial Seed Company has a good organic seed selection.
Heirloom seeds are from old heritage bean varieties passed down. They have exceptional flavors and unique traits. Order from Seed Savers Exchange and Southern Exposure Seed Exchange to get heirloom green bean seeds.
Growing organic and heirloom green beans lets you experience different colors, shapes, and tastes. Though not always disease resistant, their exceptional quality makes them worth trying.
Shop Local Garden Stores for Green Bean Seeds
Beyond buying seeds online, visit local garden stores and nurseries in your area. Many independent shops sell vegetable seeds sourced for your local climate.
The benefit of local stores is you can see and touch the actual seed packets. Inspect for signs of quality like:
- Reputable brand name
- Maturity date visible
- Certified seed packet
- Harvest date for current year
- Instructions for germination
Talk to staff members for advice on selecting bean varieties tailored for your growing zone and season. Local garden shops can be great sources for region-specific green bean seeds.
Order Seeds Early for Best Selection
The most popular green bean seed varieties sell out quickly every year. To get your first choices, order seeds as early as possible once the new year’s catalogues are released.
January and February are the best times to secure green bean seeds for spring and summer planting. Inventory is fullest right after the new year.
If ordering later in the season, your selection may be limited. Popular pole beans like Fortex and fast-maturing bush beans sell out quickest.
Place your green bean seed orders early to get your ideal varieties before they disappear for the season!
Buy Extra Seeds for Successive Plantings
Green beans grow best in summer heat. To maximize yields, you can sow seeds every 2-3 weeks for continuous harvests.
Successive plantings work great for bush beans that only produce one harvest. Keep sowing fresh rounds to get beans all season.
Pole beans also benefit from successive waves of new seeds since extreme heat causes blossom drop. Refreshed plantings bear when earlier vines wane.
Be sure to buy extra seeds upfront for successive sowing. You’ll need enough for multiple plantings to keep your harvests rolling.
Getting a quality green bean seed source is step one for growing a prolific backyard crop. We hope these tips help you secure top-notch bush or pole bean seeds for your garden. Let us know how your green bean plants progress this season!
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Step 2: Choose Healthy Plants
Select the heartiest and most vigorous plants to harvest bean seeds for next year’s crop. Do not save seeds from weak or diseased plants, or plants that are infested with pests.
Pick plants that grow quickly and have healthy leaves and vines. Also, pick pods that are fully developed and have a lot of seeds of the same size. These will be the healthiest plants to harvest.
Some plants may only need one or two seeds to be saved in order to make a seed crop. Green beans generally average 6 seeds per pod, and most plants produce over 20 pods per plant. So the potential is around 120 seeds per plant!.
Steps to Saving Bean Seeds
To save bean seeds, you need to plant the seeds early so the plants have plenty of time to grow to full size before the first frost in the fall. To grow, beans need warm weather and a lot of water, so plant them in early summer if you want to save seeds.
To get your plants going, read this article on how to grow beans. Then, do the things below to save seeds: