Green Bean Growth Rate

Seasons

• Gardeners in most areas have to wait until after winter to plant green beans, because they do not grow well in cold temperatures. Growers who plant green beans in late spring will have ripe beans in early or midsummer. Most bean types take around a couple months to mature. For example, someone who plants beans in mid-May will have edible beans in mid-July. Growers in warm climates can also plant green beans in the fall as long as they allow enough time for the beans to ripen before the first frost of the year.

Varieties

• In general, pole bean varieties of green beans take slightly longer to mature than bush beans. Some common pole bean varieties that the University of Illinois recommends include Kentucky Blue, Blue Lake and Kentucky Wonder. All of these types take around 65 days to mature. Derby and bush Kentucky Wonder varieties of bush beans take around 57 days to mature. Blue Lake 274 bush beans take about 58 days.

Fertilizer

• Fertilizer, compost or manure will provide extra soil nutrients to help green beans grow as much as possible. Bean plants grown in nutrient-poor soil will not produce as many beans as beans grown in nutrient-rich soil. The plants will not grow as much each day without fertilizer as they will with it. Experts at Texas A&M University suggest applying 2 or 3 lbs. of 10-20-10 ratio fertilizer for every 10 square feet of soil. Additionally, bean plants might need a second application of fertilizer on top of the soil after they start to grow pods.

Planting and Harvesting Strategy

• When green beans start to ripen, a single plant will be ready to harvest each day for at least several days in a row. Some plants even produce beans for up to a few weeks. Gardeners who want a continuous supply of beans can take advantage of the rapid production rate of green beans over such a long time period. By planting several crops of beans spaced two weeks apart, growers will have ripe beans continuously for a couple months during the middle and end of summer.