Kitchen King Garden Bean...

POPULAR NAME: Kitchen King Garden Bean
LATIN NAME: Phaseolus spp.

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BRIEF DESCRIPTION: Once called string beans, snap beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) have had the “strings” bred out of them. They usually have thick, crunchy, blue-green pods, but also may be yellow (wax) or purple. Another type is the French delicacy called filet or haricot bean, which is eaten when young and slender. Romano beans are flattened snap beans. Most beans grown as snap beans can be allowed to mature and develop ripe seeds for shelling. Beans bred for shelling and drying are diverse and lovely, including the dark red-brown kidney bean, gray-white navy bean, rose-pink pinto bean, and shiny, black turtle bean. Horticultural beans, which tolerate cool weather, have pink-and-cream pods. Eat the speckled seeds from the pod or dried. Scarlet runner bean (P. coccineus), a favorite ornamental edible, is a quick-growing vine with red flowers that attract hummingbirds. Long green pods have pink-and-black seeds and can be eaten snap, shell, or dried beans.

Snap and most shell beans come in two forms: bush and poles. Bush beans are 1 to 2 feet tall and stand upright. Pole beans are tall, twining vines that require support. Bush beans are ready for harvest earlier than pole beans, but pole beans produce a larger yield over a longer period.

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GERM. DATE: June 23, 2009
GERM. TIME: 7-14 days
TRANSPLANT DATE: June 28, 2009

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TYPE OF PLANT: Vegetable
BLOOM CYCLE:
pH LEVEL: 6.0 - 6.5
SEED DEPTH: 2 inch
HEIGHT OF PLANT:
WIDTH OF PLANT:
PLANT SPACING: 6 inches
ROW SPACING: 18-30 inches
DAYS TO HARVEST: 55 days

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ZONE REQUIREMENTS:
FERTILIZER REQUIREMENTS: Don’t use high-nitrogen fertilizers, which can decrease yields.
LIGHT REQUIREMENTS: Full sun to part shade, but shading reduces yields.
WATER REQUIREMENTS: Moist
SOIL REQUIREMENTS: Average, well-drained soil

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DISEASE PROBLEMS: Mildew, Anthracnose, Rust, Bean Mosaic Virus
PEST/INSECT PROBLEMS: Aphids, Mexican Bean Beetles
SOLUTIONS: Hose off aphids with hard stream of water. Control Mexican bean beetles with pyrethrin. To prevent mildew, anthracnose, and bean mosaic virus, grow resistant cultivars. Prevent rust by not working among wet plants.

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HOW TO GROW: For continuous harvest, plant every 2 weeks for 4 to 6 weeks. In the South, make another planting or two in mid- to late summer for fall harvest. Plant seeds 1 inch deep after last frost. Space bush beans 2 to 3 inches apart in rows 18 to 24 inches apart. Plant pole beans at base of a 6- to 8-foot-tall support, spacing seeds 2 to 3 inches apart in rows 3 to 4 feet apart, or plant 6 seeds at base of each pole and space poles 4 feet apart. Plant scarlet runner beans on average date of last frost, 1 to 2 inches deep and 3 to 4 inches apart; do not presoak or seeds may split. Thin to 6 inches.
HARVEST NOTES: Harvest when pods are 4-5 inches and dark green. Pick snap beans when pods are full size, but beans inside are still small. Daily picking keeps pods tender and increases yields for pole beans. Harvest French (filet) beans when pods are ⅛ inch thick and 4 to 6 inches long. Harvest horticultural beans when pod begins to feel rubbery and before seeds harden. For fresh shell beans, harvest when beans are mature but still soft. Scarlet runner bean is usually ready to begin harvest in 13 weeks. Pick for snap beans before seeds have formed; may need to be stringed. Harvest for shell beans when desired size, and for dry beans when pods are crisp and brown. Dry as directed under the “Preserve By” section.

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SPECIAL CARE/NOTES: This cultivar produces high yields. Pole and scarlet runner beans need support to climb, such as fence, trellis, or tripod made of poles.
STORE BY: Refrigerate in plastic bag for up to 1 week.
PRESERVE BY: For dried shell beans, pull plant when foliage turns yellow; let plants dry outdoors until beans are stone hard. Shell pods by hand or hold plant base and bang it against inside of box, pail, or fabric bag. Store in airtight jar in cool, dark place for up to 1 year.
USES FOR PLANT: Can be eaten fresh, cooked, or dried.