Bush Bean

Common: Bush Bean 'Gold Rush'

Maturity: 54 days

Care: Plant after danger of frost is over (May 1), and every 2-4 weeks until beginning of August for continuous supply. Water well after planting. Plant 1" deep, 2" apart, rows that are 18" apart. 200 seeds=10'row.

Harvest: Harvest when the pods are firm, crisp and fully elongated, but before the seed within the pod has developed significantly. Pick beans after the dew is off the plants, and they are thoroughly dry. Picking beans from wet plants can spread bean bacterial blight, a disease that seriously damages the plants. Be careful not to break the stems or branches, which are brittle on most bean varieties. The bean plant continues to form new flowers and produces more beans if pods are continually removed before the seeds mature.

Selection and Storage: Harvest fresh beans before they become tough and stingy. If you can see the bulge of a developing bean through the green pod, the bean is over-mature and should be shelled (except pole beans). At this stage the pod is too tough to eat. Planting garden beans in two week intervals helps to eliminate having all the beans ready for harvest at the same time.
Fresh pole beans and bush beans can be stored, unwashed in plastic bags in the vegetable crisper of the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Do not wash them before storing. Wet beans will develop black spots and decay quickly. Wash beans just before preparation.

Notes:
Rotate this vegetable crop.