Crop fact sheet · Warm season · frost tender
Snap Beans (Bush Green Beans)
Not in season right now in Houston. Dates below.
Your dates in Houston
| Window | Order seed by | Start indoors | Plant | First harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2026 | Sep 9 | — | Sep 30 – Oct 14 | from Nov 14 |
| Spring 2027 | Feb 1 | — | Feb 22 – Mar 15 | from Apr 8 |
| Fall 2027 | Sep 9 | — | Sep 30 – Oct 14 | from Nov 14 |
Worked out from AgriLife planting windows (days before/after average frost) and Houston's average frost dates. "Order seed by" is our own 3-week heads-up, not an AgriLife date.
The numbers
- How to plant
- Sow seed directly 1" deep, 3.5" apart, rows 33" apart.
- Days to harvest
- 45–60 days
- Yield per 10 ft of row
- about 12 lb (120 lb per 100 ft of row)
- Replant every
- 12 days for a steady harvest
- Keeps producing
- about 2 weeks
- Sun
- Full sun
- Family
- Fabaceae (for rotation)
Water
Water about once a week in dry weather. Do not let the soil dry out during bloom or blossoms will drop and yields fall.
Feeding
- At planting: 2 to 3 lb of 10-20-10 per 10 x 10 ft area mixed into the top 3 to 4 inches.
- After flowering and pod set: 1/2 cup per 10 ft of row scattered between rows, then water.
Not sure what your soil needs? Get a soil test first.
Texas heat
Clemson HGIC 1302: above 90 F blossoms may fall off (especially Blue Lake 274), and plants usually set pods again when days cool. AgriLife: keep soil moist during bloom to prevent blossom drop. This is why spring and fall windows are short in Texas.
Pests to watch
- aphids
- spider mites
- stink bugs
Diseases
- leaf and pod spots (cool, wet weather)
- root rot
What to do about them: pest sheet · what's wrong with my plant?
When it's ready
Pick when pods are about the size of a small pencil, before the seeds bulge. Overmature beans get tough and stringy; regular picking keeps plants producing.
Storing it
Refrigerate in the crisper or plastic bags; usually keeps about a week.
Texas tips
- Sow 1 inch deep, 1 to 2 inches apart, and thin to 3 to 4 inches.
- AgriLife's E-502 table gives fall planting 8 to 10 weeks before first freeze; the Easy Gardening sheet says 10 to 12 weeks.
- Use 1/4 to 1/2 lb of seed per 100 ft of row; fungicide-treated seed is recommended (do not eat it).
- Clemson: replant every 10 to 14 days for a continuous supply.
Varieties that do well in Texas
Blue Lake, Derby, Dwarf French Tendergreen, Early Contender, Goldcrop Wax, Greencrop, Jade, Roma II, Tendercrop, Topcrop