Difference between Runner and pole beans
chaman
15 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (20)
booberry85
15 years agoRelated Discussions
Difference between Pencil Beans and French?
Comments (5)Having a bad case of cabin fever and noticing that your post had not yet been answered, I thought I would look into it. It seems that these are both Old English terms that are rarely in use, at least in the US. A French bean is any bean that is eaten in the pod. Americans just say Green Bean. A pencil bean is any bean that is eaten in the pod and is yellow. Like a pencil. These are commonly known as wax beans. Both green/french beans and pencil/wax beans come in both pole and bush varieties. Pole varieties are vines that grow up (very tall, upward of 8') and are best grown on fences or trellises. Even planting them in double rows - beans 3" apart, rows 3" apart - they take up only as much space as the fence. Left without support they will sprawl and not be very happy or healthy. Bush beans grow in bushes, the size of which vary depending on variety. Some are larger than others but in general you can plant 9-16 plants in 1 square foot of space and they rarely grow taller than 2'. Hope this is helpful. I learned a little something, myself. Kay....See MorePole beans Vs. runer beans
Comments (6)Ditto on Farmerdilla's comments. When we in the U.S. say "pole beans", "bush beans", "green beans", or "snap beans", we are generally referring to P. vulgaris. I often refer to them as "common beans", which is an English translation of the Latin vulgaris. In the U.K., they would be referred to as "French beans". Runner beans (P. coccineus) are mostly climbers, hence the name. There are only a few bush varieties. They are also good as snaps... in fact, "snap beans" in the U.K. are almost always runner beans. As Farmerdilla mentioned, runner beans thrive in cooler weather, where common beans struggle. In the U.S. they do well in the Pacific Northwest and areas with cool maritime climate. They do not like hot weather, so common beans are better for areas with warm summers. Some runner beans (especially white-seeded ones) are often misidentified as common beans or limas. When in doubt, observe the cotyledons (the seed halves). For runner beans, these stay below the ground during germination. The cotyledons emerge for common beans & limas....See MoreBush Beans vs's Pole Beans
Comments (9)My own preferences are much the same as Hemnancy's; I prefer pole beans for their size, flavor, and yield... and for the enormous variation available in heirloom varieties. They require more space, but that is not an issue for me. Bush beans, however, have their advantages too... so sometimes (preferences aside) it's a question of which type is most suitable for the location & the intended purpose. It's also worth noting that beans should be considered for more than just snaps. Bush beans Advantages: - Easy to plant, require no support. - They mature more quickly. This makes them better suited for short-season areas, for late planting, and when they will be grown early or late as part of a succession planting. - Generally bear all-at-once, so good if grown for canning in large batches, especially with limited space. - Low profile, so better suited for high-wind areas. - Most popular dry beans are bush varieties. - More wax bean varieties available commercially as bush than as pole. Disadvantages: - Less suitable for kitchen gardens, where a prolonged harvest is preferable. Succession planting every few weeks can overcome this, if space is available to do so. - More vulnerable to damage by slugs and rodents. - Lower yield.* - Generally smaller pod size. - Fewer cultivars available for use as shellies. - Harvest can be uncomfortable, due to constant bending. Pole beans Advantages: - Higher yield*, sometimes enormous. - Generally larger pods as snaps, so less cutting involved for canning. - More varieties available for shellies, including most of the larger-seeded. - Prolonged harvest, good for fresh eating over a long period. Some varieties, though, will have large flushes in a relatively short period of time. - Pods are higher, making them easy to see & pick, with minimal bending. - Less damage from rodents, snails, & crawling insects. Disadvantages: - Require erecting a pole/trellis. Not too tough for a 20-foot row, but 500 feet of trellis can be a chore. - Take longer to bear, making them less suitable for short season areas. (There are, however, fast-maturing varieties like "Goldmarie" and "Early Riser"). - Except for very long-season areas, they occupy the ground for the entire season, so not suitable for succession planting. - Not good for high-wind areas, where poles & vines may be snapped. - While the over-all yield is very high, the yield-per-plant for a given period may be relatively low, so smaller daily pickings. This is only an issue where space is limited. - Few varieties commercially available for dry beans (but many heirlooms). I have also observed that many bean diseases are either caused or aggravated by soil being splashed on the leaves; bush beans seem to be more vulnerable to this. I used the (*) for yield, because with different planting strategies, either bush or pole can be high-yielding: - Pole varieties have a higher yield per plant, and often the highest yield per row foot... but much of this advantage is lost with multiple rows, because of the greater row spacing required due to shading. They are at their best if planted in a single row, at the North side of the garden. My largest yield per row by far was from a row of "Pole 191" snap beans. - Bush varieties, while yielding less per plant, can be spaced more closely... and since shade is not an issue, the rows can be closer together as well. Succession planting can also help overcome the yield gap, since it allows bush beans to time-share a given space with another crop. I think that the best bean strategy is a single row of pole beans on the North side - with a row or two of bush beans directly adjacent on the South side - so as to form one wide row. This gives the best of both worlds, in a relatively small space. Those pole beans, by the way, can include limas or yardlong beans. As for strings, I think there is little difference; there are both pole beans & bush beans, with- and without strings. However, since most breeding going on now is for bush beans, there will eventually be more stringless varieties available as bush. I don't necessarily see "stringlessness" as an advantage, since many varieties that develop strings are stringless when picked young, and have outstanding flavor. "Kentucky Wonder" is a great example of this. Most of the new bush varieties, while stringless, are of the petite style now popular in Europe... takes a lot of picking to get a basket full. No thank you. Give me the 11" pods of "Fortex", or the long pods of "Goldmarie" or "Garafal Oro", any day....See MoreRunner beans - so many different types?
Comments (58)"... Then I tried some when the hulls were yellow and almost felt like the bean should have been pealed." That has been my observation also, for most of the runner beans I've tried as shellies. That, and the "off" flavor of many of them, had me questioning whether runner bean seeds were really suited for use as shellies. Now I suspect that those issues can largely be overcome, whether by choice of variety, level of maturity at harvest, or means of preparation. This is, IMO, mostly uncharted territory, so there is still a lot of research & experimentation yet to be done. The beans are so large & visually appealing, it would be wonderful if their flavor could be made to match their appearance. My hope is that canning will prove to soften the skins of the mature beans. I've never been very fond of canning vegetables, since I prefer the fresh flavor of frozen produce... but in the case of runner bean shellies, canning might improve their palatability. Who knows, the pressure cooking itself might yield favorable results. I'm looking forward to experimenting, provided that I have enough beans next year to do so....See Moretcstoehr
15 years agoflora_uk
15 years agochaman
15 years agoalbionwood
15 years agocrazy2
15 years agoalbionwood
15 years agochaman
15 years agozeedman Zone 5 Wisconsin
15 years agochaman
15 years agozeedman Zone 5 Wisconsin
15 years agochaman
15 years agochaman
15 years agochaman
15 years agodrloyd
15 years agochaman
15 years agoGrahamRMJ
10 years agozeedman Zone 5 Wisconsin
10 years agodrloyd
10 years ago
Related Stories
SUMMER FRUITS AND VEGETABLESSummer Crops: How to Grow Beans
Grow your own beans for amazing variety and healthy, convenient produce all summer
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDES10 Easy Edibles for First-Time Gardeners
Focus on these beginner-friendly vegetables, herbs, beans and salad greens to start a home farm with little fuss
Full StoryOUTBUILDINGS12 Fun Backyard Forts Grown-Ups Can Love, Too
Kids might use them for secret meetings, but the word is out on these tree houses and playhouses that consider adult design tastes
Full StoryEDIBLE GARDENSHouzz Call: Where Are the Craziest Places You Grow Edibles?
Basil in a bathtub, spinach stacked up a wall ... If your edibles occupy an odd spot, we’d like to know
Full StoryHOUZZ TOURSHouzz Tour: A Modern Take on a Traditional Texas Farmhouse
Contemporary details update the classic form in this Austin home with a kitchen designed for a professional baker
Full StoryDECORATING GUIDESFresh Take: 13 Great Ways to Say Yes to Plaid
Give your room a dose of the unexpected with plaid’s classic lines in nearly infinite colors and materials
Full StoryLANDSCAPE DESIGNSee 5 Unexpected Ways to Use Vines
Vines can grow over slopes, trail off pergolas and add seasonal color to the garden
Full StoryLANDSCAPE DESIGNYour Mini Guide to Great Garden Edges
Get the scoop on trenches to the skinny on bender board, to help keep your garden beds as tidy as you like
Full StoryGARDENING AND LANDSCAPINGLay of the Landscape: Cottage Garden Style
Informal and vibrant, cottage gardens charm with their billowy abundance. These tips help you bring the look to your own landscape
Full StoryGARDENING AND LANDSCAPING12 One-of-a-Kind Trellis and Arbor Designs
Create Your Own Place for Vines, Flowers or a Romantic Chandelier
Full StorySponsored
zeedman Zone 5 Wisconsin