How to Grow Kentucky Pole Beans

Spread out 2 to 3 inches of manure on the garden bed. Use the tiller to work it in and break up the clods and loosen the soil. Rake the bed smooth and remove rocks and debris. Rake some of the soft soil into small hills approximately 2 feet across.

Push four 1-inch holes into the hills at opposing sides. Pole beans start quickly when hilled. Put a seed into each hole and brush dirt in to fill around the seed. Water the beans with the diffuser until the top 2 inches of soil are wet. Check by pushing a finger into the soil.

Water the soil daily and the beans will emerge in a week. Spread mulch around the edges of the bean plants to minimize weeds and conserve moisture. Push the stakes into the ground within 3 or 4 inches of the plants. The stakes should be 5 to 6 feet tall. Tie the tops of two or three stakes together in a "tepee." This will make a stronger support structure and more than one plant can grow up the stakes. As the beans grow, help train them to twine up the stakes.

Keep the area well weeded and use insecticidal soap at the first sign of insects. Pole beans are prone to aphid infestation and the bugs will attack the flowers which can minimize your yield. When harvesting, hold the vine in one hand and pull the bean with the other so you don't hurt the plant.