Bean Seed Varieties

Packed in Resealable Long Life MylarMoisture Proof Packets10+ Year Survival Seed Viability Category: Vegetable Type: Bean Variety: Topcrop (Bush) Family: Legumes Botanical Name: Phaseolus Vulgaris Hardiness Zones: 5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13 Growing Difficulty:  4 Soil PH:  6.0 to 6.8 Fertilizer Requirements:  5-10-10 Soil Type: Moist, Well-Draining Germination (days): 6 to 10 Soil Temp for Germination: 70-80°F Lighting Conditions: Full Sun Days to Maturity:  45 – 54 Planting Depth:  1” Distance Apart (in row):  2" Row Spacing: 18-24" Treated: Seed may be treated   Sowing Instructions DIRECT SOW AFTER DANGER OF LAST FROST Starting Indoors 2-3 WEEKS BEFORE DANGER OF LAST FROST Growing Tips To successfully start Topcrop Beans in the garden, wait to plant until the soil temperature is above 60°F. They germinate best when soil temperatures are between 70-80°F range. Although they don't require as fertile of soil as other plants, they do produce better with a fertile soil. Water beans with about an inch of water per week, more in the hot and dry summer months. Avoid wetting leaves, as this can lead to diseases and pests. Culinary Uses Topcrop Beans are considered one of the best bush beans for canning and freezing purposes. The pods are 6 to 7 inches in length and offer a tender crispy bean with incredible flavor. Topcrop is a very high yielding bean plant with incredible disease resistance. Harvesting Crops Another great bean for canning or freezing. The Topcrop beans grow heavy and concentrated yields. Like other green beans, these are best when harvested on the early side of maturity to get the most tender and stringless beans. Great for fresh eating. Harvesting Seed Allow some of your plants to complete growing and your bean pods to dry out and harden. Remove the pods from the plants and lay them out to dry in a warm dry place for at least two weeks. After you have allowed the bean pods to dry, you can store the beans within the pods or shell the pods to store your beans in a cool dry place. What is Treated Seed? Treated seeds are specially coated to increase germination viability and prevent damage from fungus or insects. Depending on availability, we may substitute treated or non-treated seed for this variety. The resulting produce grown from treated seed is no different than untreated, but care must be taken when handling treated seeds. Do not allow pets or livestock to eat treated seed, also avoid having children handle seed that has been treated.

Packed in Resealable Long Life MylarMoisture Proof Packets10+ Year Survival Seed Viability Category: Vegetable Type: Bean Variety: Pinto Family: Legumes Botanical Name: Phaseolus Vulgaris Hardiness Zones: 3,4,5,6,7,8,9 Growing Difficulty:  4 Soil PH:  6.0 to 7.0 Fertilizer Requirements:  5-10-10 Soil Type: Moist, Well-Draining Germination (days): 8 to 14 Soil Temp for Germination: 70-80°F Lighting Conditions: Full Sun Days to Maturity:  60 – 90 Planting Depth:  1” Distance Apart (in row):  4-6" Row Spacing: 18-24"   Sowing Instructions DIRECT SOW AFTER DANGER OF LAST FROST Starting Indoors 2-3 WEEKS BEFORE DANGER OF LAST FROST Growing Tips Plant when soil temperatures are between 70° and 80°F, otherwise the seeds may rot in the ground. Water regularly and avoid getting the leaves wet to prevent disease. Stagger planting by starting new seeds every two weeks to provide an endless supply of fresh beans all summer long. Culinary Uses Pinto Beans are relatively easy to grow and offer a great source of protein to compliment many dishes. Use them in soups and stews, as a side dish, or mash them to make refried beans. Harvesting Crops Bush Bean crops tend to come on all at once, unlike their cousins (pole beans). Most gardeners prefer to wait until the pods and seeds have reached full maturity (same as seed harvesting). This way the beans may be dried and stored for use in many future meals. Some gardeners, however, will pick part of their Pinto bean crop early to use as fresh snap green beans. You can do this as soon as the pods are firm enough to 'snap'. Harvesting Seed Allow some of your plants to complete growing and your bean pods to dry out and harden. Remove the pods from the plants and lay them out to dry in a warm dry place for at least two weeks. After you have allowed the bean pods to dry, you can store the beans within the pods or shell the pods to store your beans in a cool dry place.

Packed in Resealable Long Life MylarMoisture Proof Packets10+ Year Survival Seed Viability Category: Vegetable Type: Bean Variety: Contender (Bush) Family: Legumes Botanical Name: Phaseolus Vulgaris Hardiness Zones: 3,4,5,6,7,8,9 Growing Difficulty:  4 Soil PH:  5.8 to 6.5 Fertilizer Requirements:  5-10-10 Soil Type: Moist, Well-Draining Germination (days): 6 – 10    Soil Temp for Germination: 60 – 80°F Lighting Conditions: Full Sun Days to Maturity:  40 – 50 Planting Depth:  1” Distance Apart (in row):  2” Row Spacing: 24-36”   Sowing Instructions DIRECT SOW AFTER DANGER OF LAST FROST Starting Indoors 2-3 WEEKS BEFORE DANGER OF LAST FROST Growing Tips Plant seeds about 1 to 1.5 inches deep. You may go as deep as 2 inches when sowing in the summer for a fall crop. After germination, thin plants to 4 inches apart (keep strongest starts). Culinary Uses Early maturing stringless bush bean that produces a huge yield of tender beans. Great for fresh cooking, canning, or freezing. Harvesting Crops The contender bean will mature about a week earlier than most other bean varieties. It is best to pick them when they are about 5" long. Although they will grow to around 8", they are most tender when picked before fully mature. Harvesting Seed Select a couple of plants to use as seed stock. Allow these beans to fully mature to around 8" in total length. Once they reach their full length, allow the bean pods to dry completely on the plant. The bean pods will turn a light brown color and the seeds will rattle on the inside. After they completely dry, crack open the bean pods and store the seeds in a cool dry place for planting next season.

Packed in Resealable Long Life MylarMoisture Proof Packets10+ Year Survival Seed Viability Category: Vegetable Type: Bean Variety: Pinto Family: Legumes Botanical Name: Phaseolus Vulgaris Hardiness Zones: 3,4,5,6,7,8,9 Growing Difficulty:  4 Soil PH:  6.0 to 6.8 Fertilizer Requirements:  5-10-10 Soil Type: Moist, Well-Draining Germination (days): 6 to 10 Soil Temp for Germination: 70-80°F Lighting Conditions: Full Sun Days to Maturity:  45 – 75 Planting Depth:  1” Distance Apart (in row):  2" Row Spacing: 18-24" Treated: Seed may be treated   Sowing Instructions DIRECT SOW AFTER DANGER OF LAST FROST Starting Indoors 2-3 WEEKS BEFORE DANGER OF LAST FROST Growing Tips To successfully start Beans in the garden, wait to plant until the soil temperature is above 65°F. They germinate best when soil temperatures are between 70-80°F range. Although they do not require as fertile of soil as other plants, they do produce better with a fertile soil. Water beans with about an inch of water per week, more in the hot and dry summer months. Avoid wetting leaves, as this can lead to diseases and pests. Culinary Uses Provider Beans are known as a very productive garden crop. You can eat the beans straight from the garden or prepare in a wide variety of different dishes. Harvesting Crops You should always pick your beans while the pods still 'snap'. Do not let the bean pod fill out completely, otherwise you will get a tough and stringy bean if allowed to grow too big. Use two hands when harvesting (one to hold plant, and one to pluck the bean) to avoid damaging the plant. Harvesting Seed Allow some of your plants to complete growing and your bean pods to dry out and harden. Remove the pods from the plants and lay them out to dry in a warm dry place for at least two weeks. After you have allowed the bean pods to dry, you can store the beans within the pods or shell the pods to store your beans in a cool dry place. What is Treated Seed? Treated seeds are specially coated to increase germination viability and prevent damage from fungus or insects. Depending on availability, we may substitute treated or non-treated seed for this variety. The resulting produce grown from treated seed is no different than untreated, but care must be taken when handling treated seeds. Do not allow pets or livestock to eat treated seed, also avoid having children handle seed that has been treated.