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Kentucky Wonder Brown is an heirloom developed in Kentucky before 1864. This is the brown-seeded strain of a very popular pole bean and is well-loved for its vigor and fine bean flavour. Expect large clusters of round, curved, 18-25cm (7-10") long silvery-green, fleshy pods. These are virtually stringless with a distinctive flavour. The vines are particularly tall, so provide adequate support for climbing. Kentucky Wonder Brown bean seeds sprout better in cool soils, so they can be planted a little earlier than other pole bean seeds. These beans are well loved for fresh eating, but also because they freeze nicely for storage and winter use.
Matures in 70 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)
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Latin
Latin
Phaseolus vulgaris
Family: Fabaceae
Difficulty
Difficulty
Easy
Season & Zone
Season & Zone
Season: Warm Season
Exposure: Full-sun
Timing
Timing
Direct sow from late spring to early summer. Try to plant during a warm, dry spell. Soil must be warm β if it is not warm enough, seeds may rot, especially our untreated seeds. Optimal soil temperature: 21-32Β°C (70-90Β°F).
Starting
Starting
Seeds can be started indoors, or sowed directly. Set seeds 7-10cm (3-4β³) apart and 3.5cm (1Β½β) deep at the base of a support. Plants will climb by twining around almost anything. Try rough poles, lumber, re-bar, or build a strong trellis 2-2.5m (6-8β²) tall. Seeds will sprout in 8-16 days, depending on soil conditions.
Growing
Growing
Ideal pH: 6.0-6.5. Well drained, warm soil in full sun is best. Use 1 cup of balanced organic fertilizer for every 3m (10β²) of row. Too much nitrogen in fertilizer or manure is often the cause of poor pod set and delayed maturity. If beans flower but do not set pods, the cause can be zinc deficiency. Try spraying the plants with kelp based fertilizer. Wet leaves on crowded plants are subject to diseases. Thin plants to increase air circulation and avoid touching the leaves while they are wet.
Harvest
Harvest
Because pole beans are always climbing, there are always beans at different stages of maturity. It is important to keep picking regularly so the plant does not fully mature seeds and stop producing new pods. If pods get fat with seed, the plant will stop flowering. The smaller the bean, the more tender they are.
Seed Info
Seed Info
In optimal conditions at least 75% of seeds should germinate. Usual seed life: 3 years. Per 100β² row: 400 seeds. Per acre: 43.5M seeds.
Diseases & Pests
Diseases & Pests
If beans flower but do not set pods, the cause can be a zinc deficiency. Try spraying the plants with Kelpman. Wet leaves on crowded plants are subject to diseases. Thin plants to increase air circulation and try not to touch the plants while they are wet.
Companion Planting
West Coast Seeds is a family-owned company that embraces an organic lifestyle. A group of imagination catalysts and passionate educators, dedicated to producing products and services that better the environment. As part of our mission to repair the earth, we aim to inspire and empower people to take responsibility for the state of the planet. For us, organic is about much more than saying no to chemicals, it is about saying yes to building a healthy soil for the future.
For over 35 years, we have upheld our strong reputation as a leading seed supplier, seeking out the highest quality untreated seeds for organic growing and putting them through rigorous independent testing. We built our company on the exchange of generational wisdom in a masterclass community of newbies and masters alike. Our world may have changed, but our commitment to our people, our customers, and our planet has not.
Weβre a values-based business that has blossomed into a lifestyle ethos, with products that support seeders, feeders, keepers, and the tiniest of creepers. Our mission? To mobilize the next generation of gardeners with products that nourish soil and grow vigorous, sustainable gardens. We believe all plants should be grown without the use of chemicals, and that the seeds we supply are an important component of regenerative gardening.
We donβt just offer seeds, we offer experience, insight, and understanding. From timeless garden wisdom to new tech know-how, this is learning on the job: knowledge gleaned not from the pages of a book but from burying our fingers in the soil. We test, experiment, observe and adapt, never happier than when we get to share what weβve learned with others.
Gardens donβt just grow seeds. They grow minds and imaginations, people and communities. Our vision encompasses both the micro and the macro. We eat locally, protect pollinators, teach people to grow from seed, and support regional biodiversity. We think big but act small and deliver unexpected impact β always with community and purpose.
At West Coast Seeds we believe in the power of small and that little can be large. Like the tiniest seed germinates to evoke incremental change with massive potential, so to can our community of gardeners and growers together. Gardeners are the earthβs stewards, planting seeds of creative declaration. The soil provides the canvas, we provide the seeds.
Direct sow from late spring to early summer. Try to plant during a warm, dry spell. Soil must be warm β if it is not warm enough, seeds may rot, especially our untreated seeds. Optimal soil temperature: 21-32Β°C (70-90Β°F).
Seeds can be started indoors, or sowed directly. Set seeds 7-10cm (3-4β³) apart and 3.5cm (1Β½β) deep at the base of a support. Plants will climb by twining around almost anything. Try rough poles, lumber, re-bar, or build a strong trellis 2-2.5m (6-8β²) tall. Seeds will sprout in 8-16 days, depending on soil conditions.
Ideal pH: 6.0-6.5
Well drained, warm soil in full sun is best. Use 1 cup of balanced organic fertilizer for every 3m (10β²) of row. Too much nitrogen in fertilizer or manure is often the cause of poor pod set and delayed maturity. If beans flower but do not set pods, the cause can be zinc deficiency. Try spraying the plants with kelp based fertilizer.
Days to maturity: From direct sowing.
In optimal conditions at least 75% of seeds should germinate. Usual seed life: 3 years. Per 100β² row: 400 seeds. Per acre: 43.5M seeds.
Because pole beans are always climbing, there are always beans at different stages of maturity. It is important to keep picking regularly so the plant does not fully mature seeds and stop producing new pods. If pods get fat with seed, the plant will stop flowering. The smaller the bean, the more tender they are.
