There are not many beans that produce well in the high heat and humidity. Just like there are not many people who want to be outside in the high heat and humidity. Beans are like tomatoes and pollinate at night. When night temps are above 75 the pollen is killed and becomes sterile. When humidity is high regardless of temp the pollen clumps and does not pollinate well also a good beeze helps to trip the blooms releasing pollen. Combine the two and there is little production.But we are at an advantage in the lower south. I live about a 100miles from you in the central piedmont in Little Mountain. People in the north can only have a summer crop of beans or tomatoes but we enjoy fresh beans nearly 6 months out of the year. Plant first crop late March and continue planting succesive crops till mid May for harvest in May and June. Then plant a fall crop starting in Aug through Sept for harvest in sept and oct and even into Nov in most years. Most bush beans harvest in 6 weeks and are short lived plants. Pole beans start to produce in 8 weeks and continue till the heat of July. So if you had room I would plant bush beans late march and pole beans a week or two later for fresh beans starting in early may till early July. Then replant pole beans First week of Aug and bush beans in Sept till middle of Oct for beans in Sept till Thanksgiving in a good year. You can even plant bush beans in flats and set outside in the day and bring them in at night in first week of march when days are warm but before the ground is good and warm then set out the plants mid march and harvest beans in April. Hope this helpds Rodger

Rodger is right. If it gets too hot, bush beans won't set. Then we have to resort to southern peas. Black eyes and Purple Hull and Pink eyes. Maybe some crowder and creams. Then back to bush beans when it cools off.

shebear you hit it right on the nose. Plant all those southern peas in late may early june and enjoy fresh peas and snaps during the void of July and Aug when there is no fresh common beans. Most southern peas take 6-8 weeks to produce a crop and they prosper in the heat and humidity. Then to extend the season into late fall early winter and late winter early spring when we can't grow beans or southern peas plant sweet peas or english peas as we call them. The only time I'm not harvesting beans or peas is in the month of Jan and feb. and it a good thing too because thats when I start all my tomatoes, eggplant ,peppers herbs etc.Rodger

Rodger and Shebear gave you excellent advice. There is at least one other possibility. There are bush versions of the Yardlong which is actually a subspecies of the cow pea. I don't care for them except in Chinese dishes, but they will handle the summer climate. Stickless Wonder, Kentucky Bush, Dwarf Snake Bean, are some named cultivars.

I live very near the Ohio River (about 1/4 mile) in extreme southwest Indiana, so we have alot of heat and very high humidity at times. I grow Kentucky Bush and I have never had a problem, always high yeilds.

Lima beans might be another option for you. Dixie Speckled Butterpeas has been a productive bush lima for me during the heat & humidity of summer.

A little late and sorry to bump an old post, thanks for the great advice. I've had my bush beans in the ground for a couple weeks now, and looking into pole varieties for the first week in August as instructed. Rodger, I'm using your post as my how-to for beans. Thanks again.

I live in TX and it gets pretty warm and often humid here and I swear to you that Rattlesnake beans were non stop the whole summer...

Can anyone tell me the method to use to trim back bush beans after the first crop to get a second one>
Thank
Charlie
charliebear65@hotmail.com

I'm in NC and my extension agent said to plant bush beans now and then again in late July. The same plants won't produce all summer but you can get two crops.

Charlie, the only thing you need to do to keep the older varieties of bush beans producing is to keep them picked so that no beans ever mature.

Beware, commercial varieties like Contender never will produce a second flush. They're bred to bear all at once for mechanical picking.

I've gotten second and, in excellent conditions, even third crops off of Royalty Purple Pod, Royal Burgundy, Dragon Langerie, and Kentucky Wonder.

Not to bring the whole bush vs pole bean topic up, but:

Would you get more beans from a few pole beans than a thick row of bush beans?

you will get more from pole beans but they are about 2-3 weeks later than bush. If you have the room plant a small row of bush for early beans or late fall beans then plant pole beans as a main crop. It is much easier on the back picking pole beans then stooping over to pick the bush beans, and if room is an issue bush beans work best but need to plant some evey two weeks to have a continous supply. Rodger