Pole Bean Jimenez

What Pole Bean Jimenez is

Pole Bean Jimenez (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an annual vegetable of the Legume family (Fabaceae). An excellent green bean with red streaks that is crisp and tender. They are stringless until fully mature. Very large, long, flat pods. When ripe, the pods turn redder. Good flavour and high yield. Beans are a good source of vitamin C, folate and iron and are high in fibre. Try growing beans with sweet peas to attract pollinating insects to the flowers. The plants are hungry, so the soil should be well prepared and fertilised the previous autumn. Use well-drained, warm soil in full sun. Early sowings can be made in a greenhouse at a temperature of 16°C, sowing 3 seeds per 8 cm pot filled with seed compost. Outdoor sowings can be made from May onwards in the growing position at a depth of 5 cm. Sow 2-3 seeds every 20-30 cm. apart, with rows 60 cm apart. apart. Seedlings sown indoors should be hardened off gradually before planting out in late May at the spacing above, once all risk of frost has passed. Place a support cane at each planting station. For an optimal harvest, place canes at 30-45 cm apart, with 3 beans planted per cane. Regular watering is needed during dry weather. You can dry the beans to store them, or cook them soon after harvest. Make sure you boil these beans thoroughly: raw beans contain lectin, a toxin that is destroyed by cooking.

French beans are easy, quick and very productive — about 55–65 days pass from sowing to first harvest. Dwarf varieties need no support, while climbing ones cover fences and crop for longer.

Key features

• Measured germination rate of the batch: 93%
• Pack size: 10 g
• Seed origin: China
• Sowing: April and May; direct
• Harvest: July and August
• Position: sunny spot

When to sow Pole Bean Jimenez

Pole Bean Jimenez seeds are sown in April and May. The crop is harvested in July and August. The months are a guide for a temperate climate — in warmer areas sow 1–2 weeks earlier, in cooler or upland areas, later.

How to sow and grow Pole Bean Jimenez

• Sowing method: direct
• Depth: 3–4 cm
• Spacing: 8–10 cm in the row, 40–50 cm between rows (dwarf); 20–25 cm with support (climbing)
• Germination: 6–10 days at 18–25 °C
• Position: sunny spot

Sow directly when the soil is above 12 °C — in cold soil the seeds rot. Do not feed with nitrogen: beans supply their own. Water during flowering and pod set.

Harvest and use

Pick the pods young and crisp, every 2–3 days — this encourages the plant to set new ones.

Frequently asked questions

When should Pole Bean Jimenez be sown?

The recommended sowing months are April and May. Sowing method: direct.

What is the germination rate of the seeds?

The measured germination rate of this batch is 93%. The test was carried out under controlled laboratory conditions; in the field, emergence depends on soil, temperature and moisture.

When are beans sown?

Directly outdoors from late April to July, once the soil has warmed up. For a long harvest, sow in 2–3 batches every 3 weeks.

Do beans need to be soaked before sowing?

Not necessarily; a short soak (2–4 hours) speeds up germination, but a longer one can crack the seeds.