Yard Long Beans

Amaze your family and friends with yard long beans. These have been a mainstay of East Asia for centuries but many gardeners across North America are now growing this tasty, easy-to-grow snap bean.

Plant long beans during the warm frost-free growing season, allowing 80 days from seed to harvest. They are heat, humidity and drought tolerant and an excellent choice for those in hotter regions.

Provide a sturdy trellis or fence for these vigorous vines. And although they are drought tolerant you will get the best flavor if the plants receive sufficient moisture throughout the season.

The pods grow 20 to 36 inches long. Pick them regularly to keep them producing. Harvest pods when less than 18 inches and stir-fry or sauté for the best flavor. Allow a few to reach maturity and remove the mature seeds from the pods to use as dried beans.

A bit more information: Add some yard long color to the garden with red, purple and mottled varieties. Thai purple produce deep purple pods, Chinese red noodle has deep red pods and Thai Soldier long bean produces foot long tiger striped pods on vigorous more compact plants.