Description

Why is this bean called 'Contender'? Because it vies for the number one spot among beans! And rightly it should; a stringless favorite since 1949, it produces after only 50 days from sowing, and tolerates heat and powdery mildew where other varieties suffer. Disease resistant.

Botanical Name: Phaseolus vulgaris
Days to Maturity: 50 days
Family: Fabaceae
Native: Mexico and South America
Hardiness: Frost-sensitive annual
Plant Dimensions: 12″–20″ tall, wide
Variety Information: 6″–8″ long, round-oval, slightly curved pods. Also resistant to common bean mosaic virus.
Type: Snap bean

When to Sow Outside: RECOMMENDED. 1 to 2 weeks after your average last frost date, and when soil temperature is at least 65°F, ideally 70°–85°F. Successive Sowings: Every 7 to 14 days up to 80 days before your average first fall frost date. NOTE: In very hot summer areas, skip sowing as high heat approaches; temperatures consistently above 90°F will prevent beans from forming.
When to Start Inside: Not recommended.
Days to Emerge: 6–12 days
Seed Depth: 1″
Seed Spacing: 1 seed every 4″
Row Spacing: 24″
Thinning: Not required

Harvesting: Snap beans are ready to pick when the pod “snaps” or breaks in half cleanly. This is when the seeds have just begun to form and the pods are several inches long (depending on the variety). Hold the stem with one hand, and the pod with the other hand to avoid pulling off branches, which will continue to produce. At season's end, plants are great compost material if they are disease-free.

This packet sows up to 16 feet. 48 seeds.