How to Know the Exact Right Time for Ideal Flavor

Green beans are one of the most popular vegetables for home gardens. They grow quickly, produce heavy yields, and don’t need much attention. But you do have to know when to pick them.

Dozens of cultivars and varieties exist including snap beans, string beans, French beans and haricots verts, all categorized as either bush beans or pole beans. They have edible pods with different shapes and sizes of edible beans on the inside which are actually seeds.

Consider these tips for when to pick green beans for a super harvest from garden to table, and to fill your freezer or pantry.

When to Pick Green Beans

Green beans are ready to be picked 45 to 65 days after planting, depending on the variety. They’re planted in late spring when soil temperatures reach 55°F, so it’s likely you’re harvesting in the summer months.

Check the seed packet for the number of days to harvest, though this number is really just an estimate, since the right harvesting time can be impacted by rain amount, soil type, and the presence of pests.

As the projected harvest day approaches, check your green plants daily for pod size and whether pods are flat or slightly to fully filled out. Some varieties are grown mostly for the edible pod while others are popular for the tasty, creamy beans inside.

How to Know When Green Beans are Ready to Harvest

Green beans are ready to harvest when the pods are not quite completely filled out. Once the actual beans inside plump up and get fully ripe, pods can can get tough or pithy. Look for pods that are a good length or width with uniform color, according to the variety’s description.

Green bean harvests last for several weeks but it’s important to keep up with picking. It may be necessary to pick every day or every few days at first. Removing mature beans allows the plant to direct energy into continued flowering and ripening immature beans.

When Your Green Bean Isn’t Green

Some green bean varieties have purple or speckled pods. To know the right time to pick, look for rich, uniform color.

How to Pick Green Beans

Whether you grow bush type beans or pole beans, the correct way to pick green beans is pretty much the same. Harvest the beans in the morning after dew has dried for the best flavor and texture. Follow these step-by-step instruction for the correct way to harvest green beans.

Choose the right plant. Find a plant with several mature pods.
Separate the the pod’s branch. Move other branches out of the way to isolate the branch, stem, or vine with the mature beans or groups of beans.
Hold the branch or vine in one hand. Support the growing stem or vine with your non-dominant hand. Just gently grasp it with your fingers. This prevents accidental breakage or damage to the stem during picking.
Pinch the pod off. Use your thumb and pointer finger on your dominant hand to pinch the bean pod where it attaches to the stem. If beans still have the flower cap (the cup the flower grew in) pinch the stem above the cap.

Avoid Breaking Bean Stems

Never pull beans off your plants without supporting the stem. It’s easy to uproot the entire plant, and the stems are prone to breakage if not handled carefully. When a plant has a lot of bean pods, it’s okay to remove beans by the handful as long as the growing stem is supported.

How Are Bush Beans Different From Pole Beans?

Bush beans grow upright to 2 feet tall with a multiple branches on one stem, whereas pole beans grow vines that grow to lengths of 5 to 10 feet. Many varieties are similar in size, shape, and color, though some types of pole beans, such as the yard bean, grow pods up to 3 feet long.

Pole beans, also sometimes called runner beans or half runners, require support like a trellis or tall fencing for their long vines. They’re often grown on tall stakes in a pyramid shape. Some training and tying may be needed, but often they grow up it naturally. When they reach the top of the support they can be trained to grow back down or growing tips can be pinched to encourage branching.

Bush beans, growing upright, don’t require staking. Once fruiting begins, the plants continue to flower but stop growing new branches and foliage.

FAQ

No, you can’t pick green beans too early. Green bean pods are edible and delicious when young; the only challenge is it can be difficult to remove the strings from string beans picked early.

If you wait too long to pick green beans, the beans are okay to eat but the pods become tough, pithy and not edible. The beans are more likely to mold or be damaged by insects when left too long, and fruit production will slow.

Yes, green beans will keep growing back after harvesting, since harvesting actually encourages and supports more flowers and fruit. Harvests last about three weeks on average.

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