Bean, Bush (Blue Lake 247)

Botanical Interests Blue Lake 274 Bush Bean Seeds

The snap bean (or green bean) is eaten pod and all and is one vegetable that tastes significantly better when grown at home rather than bought at the grocery store. 'Blue Lake 274' produces a very large crop of round, 6" pods all at once on 16"–18" tall, bushy plants that are disease resistant; beans are stringless when picked young. Excellent flavor, one of the best for freezing. A good container variety. This packet sows up to 16 feet.

Sowing Information:

• Light: Full sun
• When to Start Inside: Not recommended.
• When to Sow Outside: RECOMMENDED. 1 to 2 weeks after your average last frost date, and when soil temperature is at least 65°F, ideally 70°–85°F. Successive Sowings: Every 7 to 14 days up to 80 days before your average first fall frost date. NOTE: In very hot summer areas, skip sowing as high heat approaches; temperatures consistently above 90°F will prevent beans from forming.
• Seed Depth: Plant seeds 1 inch deep
• Seed Spacing: A group of 1 seeds every 4 inches
• Row Spacing: 24 inches
• Thinning: Not required
• Days to Germinate: 6-12 days
• Days to Maturity: 58 days

Growing Notes:

• Harvesting: Snap beans are ready to pick when the pod "snaps" or breaks in half cleanly. This is when the seeds have just begun to form and the pods are several inches long (depending on the variety). Hold the stem with one hand, and the pod with the other hand to avoid pulling off branches, which will continue to produce. At season's end, plants are great compost material if they are disease-free.
• Variety Info: 6" long, plump, green, smooth, tender pods, white beans. 'Blue Lake 274' is resistant to bean common mosaic virus and NY-15 mosaic. It was developed in 1961 from the 'Blue Lake' pole bean.