Question
My husband planted bush beans in a row without anything for them to climb on, he said they were bush beans so they will grow like a bush and will not need to climb. I thought they were like any other bean and would climb. Who is correct? we have a neat bet riding on this. thanks.

Answer
Bush beans do not climb; they are self-supporting. I stopped growing the vining varieties several years ago and now exclusively grow bush beans. They do not need support since their growing habit is compact and bushy. Normally, you can get 2-3 heavy yields from each plant. I grow mine in blocks of 16 spaced 4" apart using succession planting, meaning I plant a new crop every two weeks. This supplies our family with a very large harvest throughout the summer, to the point I literally give away bushels of beans to family and neighbors.

By the way, my favorite bush bean is Maxibel. It is a great tasting stringless variety that grows straight and is very easy to pick. Gourmet restaurants that offer french filet beans often use this variety. I've attached a link in case you're interested for next year.

http://www.parkseed.com/gardening/PD/5552?cid=ppp000624

Good luck, and please write again if I can ever provide assistance.

Regards,

Mike