Photo: "Kentucky Wonder Beans" by ancapron
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Vegetable · Pole-bean
Kentucky Wonder Pole Bean
Fabaceae
Heirloom dating to 1800s. Brown seeds. Meaty 7-9 inch oval pods, stringless when young. Extended 6-8 week indeterminate harvest. Multi-use: snap, shell, or dry bean. Pick every 2-3 days to maintain production. Requires 6-8 ft trellis or pole support.
At a Glance
Days to Maturity
58–70 days
Sun
6+ hours
Container
Yes
5+ gallon pot
Height
5–7 ft
Zone Planting Guide
Growing Guide
Germination
Germination Time
7–10 days
Optimal Temp
75°F
Seed Depth
1"
Watering
Weekly Water
1 "
Needs
Moderate
Soil
pH Range
6–7
Support
Trellis, teepee, or fence
Resilience
Heat: Medium
Cold: Low
Drought: Medium
Nutrition
Feeding Intensity
Light feeder
Harvest
Storage
Pick pods before strings develop; frequent picking encourages more pods.
Companion Planting
Good Companions
Silver queen sweet corn
Classic companion; beans can benefit from corn as a living trellis in mixed plantings.
Avoid Planting Near
Green onion scallion
Alliums are commonly listed as poor companions for beans.
Softneck garlic
Alliums are commonly listed as poor companions for beans.
Sources
seed-catalog
Victory Seed Company
university
Colorado State Extension
seed_catalog
St. Clare Heirloom Seeds
university
University of Maryland Extension — Growing Beans in a Home Garden
university
Virginia Cooperative Extension — Companion Planting in Gardening (SPES-620)
university
UC Master Gardener Program (UC Davis) — Companion Planting Chart
More Vegetables
Kentucky Wonder Pole Bean Planting Dates by Zone
Planting dates for Kentucky Wonder Pole Bean vary by USDA hardiness zone. Select your zone below for frost dates, start-indoors timing, and a full monthly planting calendar.
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