Download: Pole Beans Vs Bush Beans: Which One To Plant And Grow?
The common bean is an herbaceous annual plant scientifically known as Phaseolus Vulgaris that is grown almost all over the world. They are popular for a lot of reasons like their health benefits, their availability and they are quite economical to manage.
They are also one of the most consumed leguminous food crops. It contains edible dry seeds commonly called beans. The common beans have a variety of species and some members of this species have a climbing habit.
Their various cultivars can be grouped into bush beans or dwarf beans or pole beans or climbing beans. The bush varieties form erect bushes while the pole or running varieties form vines. The common beans generally contain folate, potassium, iron, proteins, and dietary fiber.
They also come in different colors like red, green, purple, yellow, and other streaked varieties. The good thing about the common beans is that they also add nutrients to the soil. The bush bean and pole bean come from the same wax bean family and are easy to cultivate and grow.
Read also: How To Grow Black Beans From Seeds At Home Step By Step
Although there are various types of common beans that can be grown, our main focus is on the bush bean and pole bean which are also known as green beans. What differentiates them from each other is their growing style which is to say that their differences stem from the support that they need.
Knowing their differences can help you know which beans seed is right for your garden and for this reason we will compare the different characteristics between the pole beans and the bush beans:
To start with, what are pole beans?
Pole beans are beans that need support poles for their growth. Pole beans are known by different names one of which is runner beans. They are so-called because they grow tall on climbing vines, poles, and trellis for their support. (Learn how to grow pole beans)
What are bush beans?
Bush beans are a variety of common beans that grows a short or bushy plant that takes a bush shape and doesn’t require any kind of stake or poles for their support. In other words, bush beans do not need support such as a trellis. Learn about growing bush beans.
Read also: How to grow black-eyed peas from dried beans
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BUSH BEANS AND POLE BEANS
Pole beans vs Bush beans: Height
Bush beans normally grow up to about 2feet to 3feet tall and take up much space and can be planted in double rows, side by side to the next bush plant. On the other hand, pole beans are plants that grow vertically and can grow up to 10 to 15feet tall.
Due to their tall nature, you may need to plant them in a place where you can easily set up poles for them. This must be put into consideration when choosing a site to plant your pole beans.
Pole beans vs Bush beans: Support
Bush beans don’t require too much support because they are normally not a tall plant. As for the pole beans, this cannot be overlooked. They require supports like trellis, bamboo poles or staking for support. Some people would like to avoid the stress of setting up a stake or trellis, in such case, you can just go for the less stressful bush beans when selecting your type of beans for planting.
Related: Learn How To Grow Pole Beans On A Trellis
Pole beans vs Bush beans: Produce
Bush beans develop, produce, and grow slightly faster than pole beans while pole beans take a slightly longer period to produce. For bush beans, their products often come in all at the same time and you can harvest them usually within every two to three weeks, unlike the pole beans which take like a month or two if you keep harvesting.
Read also: How To Grow Adzuki Beans From Seeds In 8 Easy Steps
Pole beans vs Bush beans: Disease Susceptibity
Bush beans are easily susceptible to diseases while pole beans are not all that susceptible to diseases. Also, pole beans are more resistant because they are slightly harder than the bush bean which comes in fresh. In the case when you don’t have the time to manage and research on how to curb bush diseases and viruses, you can instead go for the pole bean which is easy to manage and control.
Pole beans vs Bush beans: Temperature
The pole beans prefer cooler temperatures for their growth while the bush beans are more comfortable with the warmer temperatures.
Pole beans vs Bush beans: Harvest
Bush beans cannot be easily harvested by hand because when the plants grow they grow in close proximity to each other which may not be all that easily visible to harvest. It may require mechanical means for their harvest. On the other hand, pole beans can be easily harvested by hand because it’s more visible. Also, note that a bush bean which produces all at once may require more labor and is usually planted for commercial purposes.
Read also: How To Grow Barlotti Beans From Seeds
Conclusion
In conclusion, with the above information, you can be easily guided to make a good choice when considering what kind of green bean plant will be most suitable for your garden planting. I would like to hear from you. Let me know if you have any questions.
