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Growing Beans for bean lovers

There are many different varieties of growing-beansSo Many Choices Never Enough Garden Space

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Growing Beans

The common bean is one of the most versatile and widely grown vegetables in the home garden, classified as herbaceous annual plants the produce from this plant can be consumed at three different stages of development.

  • First as green beans, the term green bean refers to the bean being eaten in its green, unripe stage, rather than the color of the bean.

  • The second is as green shelled beans, being harvested when the beans in the pods are plump and still soft, before the pods begin to turn brown and dry.

  • Finally the third stage is as dried beans which are harvested when the bean and pods are completely dry, beans harvested as dried beans are cooked before consumption.

Growing Habit

Similar to tomatoes, beans have two different growing habits.

 Climbing and Pole Beans   -    These are the indeterminate type:  varieties of this type develop into vines and will continue to grow until killed by frost or unfavorable growing conditions.


Climbing or pole beans are usually of the indeterminate type

Climbing beans and pole beans require a trellis or some means of support. They grow, flower, and set fruit over the entire growing season.



Bush Beans   -   The second growth type is determinate, and like tomatoes of the same type, plants of this determinate type bean will top off, or stop growing, at a specific height.

Bush beans are mostly of the determinate type

They will bear a full crop over a shorter time than climbing or pole beans.



Bean types

There are many different varieties of beans, both determinate and indeterminate, a few of the most common beans grown are:

  • Garden beans - usually eaten only as green beans
  • Pinto beans - usually dried but can be harvested as green and green shelled.
  • Navy beans also known as haricot beans - usually only dried
  • Fava or Broad Bean - can be harvested and eaten as green, green shelled and dried
  • Kidney bean - usually only dried
  • Black turtle bean - usually only dried
  • Lima beans also known as Calico, Madagascar, or Butter Beans - mostly harvested and eaten as green shelled and dried

While there are many different types and varieties of beans that can be grown in the home vegetable garden, most have the same planting and growing conditions. Check out below for the pages to cover many of the different types of beans.


more bean pages

Growing Beans Guide
Growing Broad Beans
Growing Bush Beans
Growing Green Beans
Growing Lima Beans
Growing Pole Beans
Growing Yardlong Beans
Growing Runner Beans





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