What Is The Difference Between Bush Beans & Pole Beans

• About
• Latest Posts

Ashley

Ashley is a soil scientist who has had a passion for plants since she was a small child. In the long summers as a child, she would garden alongside her grandmother and it was then that she realized her love for greenery. With years of great studying, Ashley had begun her post-secondary education at the University of Saskatchewan. After years of working in agriculture R&D she has decided to take on teaching gardeners using science.

Latest posts by Ashley (see all)

• Canada’s Growing Zones Are Changing 2024 - January 12, 2024
• Attracting Wildlife To The Garden - May 16, 2023
• How To Garden Near A Septic Tank - May 9, 2023

What Is The Difference Between Bush Beans & Pole Beans

The difference between bush beans and pole beans is drastic. This article looks at which type of bean you should choose for your garden. We will also look at the best methods for growing each type of bean in your garden.

If you are new here my name is Ashley and I am a soil scientist that has been gardening in Canada for ten years. Be sure to let me know in the comments below where you are gardening in Canada. For more info on growing peas and beans in Canada check out this Gardening In Canada post here.

What Are Bush Beans?

A bush bean is a bean that grows in a mounding fashion. This means you do not need to trellis this plant. Bush beans are perfect for Canadian gardens because of the short growing season. The best way to plant these is in a row side by side making it easier to harvest.

Once the bean begins to flower you will want to watch for pods forming. Once you see harvestable pods it is time to grab them off the plant. This will help ensure that the plant is going to continue to flower and produce pods over time. You will typically want to harvest at least once every two to three days.

What Are Pole Beans?

Poles beans are plants that need to be trellised. If you do not trellis pole beans then they have a low production rate and tend to become tangled. The trellis system does not need to be sophisticated and a simple pole or chicken wire setup will work. 

The same rules apply to pole beans when it comes to harvesting. However, with growing pole beans in Canada you want to watch for the days to harvest. Some pole beans can have 110 – 90 growing days, these plants would need to be started indoors around the same time as tomatoes and peppers. 

If you are wanting to sow your pole beans into the garden directly and you are in a cold canadian climate you will want to find beans with 60 growing days or less. This will ensure you have a harvest during the summer before the first frost appears.

The difference between bush beans and pole beans is drastic. This article looks at which type of bean you should choose for your garden. We will also look at the best methods for growing each type of bean in your garden.