Growing Green Beans? Here’s How Long They Actually Take to Grow So You Can Harvest Them on Time

Knowing when to harvest green beans is vital for protecting the plant’s health and guaranteeing a good yield of veggies. In fact, when picking beans at the right time, you can also ensure multiple rounds of ripe bean pods and continued bean production throughout the growing season.

Ahead, we share tips from garden pros on exactly when to harvest green beans to safeguard your crop.

How Long Does It Take to Grow Different Green Bean Varieties

Depending on the specific variety, it can take approximately 50 to 75 days to grow green beans from planting to harvest. Here are just a few common green bean varieties and their average growth periods.

• Provider (Bush Bean): Around 50 days to maturity. This is a fast-growing green bean great for cooler climates.
• Contender (Bush Bean): Around 50 days. This green bean variety is known for high yields and sweet, crisp pods.
• Monte Gusto (Pole Bean): Around 58 days. This is a yellow bean, great to grow alongside typical green varieties for some diversity in terms of color and flavor. It is a slower-growing bean but produces over a longer season.

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4 Signs Green Beans Are Ready for Harvest

Pods Are Firm and Smooth.

Zeroing in on bean pod development, you can easily discern if your green beans are ready for harvest. Typically, your bean pods should be between 4 to 6 inches long, Luke Hammond—farmer, educator, and the director of brand advancement for Seedtime, says.

However, you also want to make sure the pods are firm and smooth. To check for this, gently touch the pod and press it between your fingers. A ripe pod will feel smooth to the touch and offer some resistance when pressed.

Seeds Inside Are Visible but Not Bulging

If your bean pods are ready for harvest, you should be able to see their outline through the bean pod skin. However, they are overripe if they “bulge,” Hammond says.

“They should be allowed to dry at that point and be harvested for dry beans only,” he adds, meaning the beans can be kept as dehydrated beans for storage and later use.

The Bean Pod Snaps When Bent

Green beans are also called “snap beans.” This is because breaking a bean pod in half with your fingers, you can hear a distinctive snapping sound, once the pod has broken.

“The snap test” is a tried-and-true method for determining if a green bean pod is at its peak ripeness. Overripe beans, on the other hand, may bend without snapping, while underripe beans are tough and hard to break.

The Color Should Be Consistent

Not all green beans are green. But whatever their mature hue, their overall color should be even and healthy-looking, indicating that the beans are ready to harvest. Dull and discolored beans tend to be over-ripe, while green beans that have yellow leaves or those with brown spots may have signs of disease.

Factors That Affect Growth Time

Several factors can impact your green beans’ growth time.

• Variety Type: Whether or not your green beans are bush or pole beans can affect their duration of growth. Pole beans take longer than bush beans because the former spends much of its time climbing before blooming. Most pole bean varieties take around 60 to 75 days from planting to harvest, whereas bush beans mature in about 50-60 days.
• Temperature: A favorite summer crop among gardeners, green beans can be negatively impacted by cool soil, which slows their germination and growth. According to Hammond, the optimal soil temperature for green bean germination is between 70-85°F.
• Soil Quality: Poor or compacted soil can delay the beans’ development, says Hammond. This is because the plant prefers well-draining soil rich in organic matter. Plus, loose soil allows the plant’s roots to grow easily and prevents waterlogging.
• Watering Consistency: Drought stress can stunt green bean growth. Though the plant is typically grown in the summer months, green beans enjoy frequent waterings. Hence, regions that experience summer rain can support this vegetable well.

Tips for Growing Green Beans

Follow these tips from garden experts to help your green beans thrive.

• Plant your green beans in well-draining, fertile soil: Green beans like frequent waterings, but they don’t like wet feet (soggy roots). But equally important is fertile soil full of nutrients, such as loam soil. Hammond recommends running a soil test or consulting with an agronomist for proper fertility protocol to follow when it comes to this vegetable.
• Fertilize your green beans: At the same time, you want to add nitrogen to your soil through a granular or liquid concentrate fertilizer to keep the plant growing, Adam Weiss, gardener and founder of Pike Lane Gardens, says. “Do this every 10 -14 days to stimulate additional growth.”
• Wait for warm soil: Remember, green beans are typically a summer to early fall crop. And so, you want to make sure your soil is at least 60°F, Hammond says, before directly sowing outdoors. If the ground is too cold, the green beans will take longer to grow or may not reach maturity at all.
• Keep plants evenly watered: Green beans love being watered, especially when flowering. “Once you see flowers on your growing plant, know that each flower represents a forthcoming bean,” Weiss says. And each of these blooms needs the support of water to keep it growing. Drought stress during flowering can stunt pod development.
• Harvest regularly: Picking mature green beans from your plant will encourage more pod production. Plus, it will prevent beans from getting tough or overripe, says Hammond. Waiting too long can cause a stringy and tougher bean crop.