Beans (Pole Beans) — Purple Peacock

$4.19

This beautiful plant features dark purple leaves and pods that follow attractive, light purple flowers. It makes a very striking and useful screen in the garden. This productive variety flowers before all other beans, and handles cool conditions well. The purple pods keep their flavour and tenderness even when very long, and turn green when cooked. The pods grow to 13cm (5") long and keep their flavour and tenderness long after they are picked. They turn green when cooked. The plants are extremely productive, and the pods just keep coming as long as they are picked. The seeds are beige.

Matures in 70 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

Quick Facts:

Pole bean
Beautiful plants with dark purple pods
Flower first of all bean varieties
Open-pollinated seeds
Matures in 70 days

Size: 50g (approx. 130 seeds)

Difficulty
Easy

Season & Zone
Season: Warm season.
Exposure: Full-sun.

Timing
Direct sow from late spring to early summer. Try to plant during a warm, dry spell. Soil must be warm – if it is not warm enough, seeds may rot, especially our untreated seeds. Optimal soil temperature: 21-32°C (70-90°F).

Starting
Seeds can be started indoors, or sowed directly. Set seeds 7-10cm (3-4″) apart and 3.5cm (1½”) deep at the base of a support. Plants will climb by twining around almost anything. Try rough poles, lumber, re-bar, or build a strong trellis 2-2.5m (6-8′) tall. Seeds will sprout in 8-16 days, depending on soil conditions.

Growing
Ideal pH: 6.0-6.5. Well drained, warm soil in full sun is best. Use 1 cup of balanced organic fertilizer for every 3m (10′) of row. Too much nitrogen in fertilizer or manure is often the cause of poor pod set and delayed maturity. If beans flower but do not set pods, the cause can be zinc deficiency. Try spraying the plants with kelp based fertilizer. Wet leaves on crowded plants are subject to diseases. Thin plants to increase air circulation and avoid touching the leaves while they are wet.

Harvest
Because pole beans are always climbing, there are always beans at different stages of maturity. It is important to keep picking regularly so the plant does not fully mature seeds and stop producing new pods. If pods get fat with seed, the plant will stop flowering. The smaller the bean, the more tender they are.

Seed Info

In optimal conditions at least 75% of seeds should germinate. Usual seed life: 3 years. Per 100′ row: 400 seeds.

Diseases & Pests
If beans flower but do not set pods, the cause can be a zinc deficiency. Try spraying the plants with Kelpman. Wet leaves on crowded plants are subject to diseases. Thin plants to increase air circulation and try not to touch the plants while they are wet.

Companion Planting
Beans fix nitrogen in the soil. Plant with Brassicas, carrots, celery, chard, corn, cucumber, eggplant, peas, potatoes, radish, and strawberries. Avoid planting near chives, garlic, leeks, and onions. Pole beans and beets stunt each other’s growth.

Rating: 4.8 stars out of 5 based on 8 reviews from westcoastseeds.com