3 Important Facts About Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans

When it comes to savory side dishes, summertime snacking, or supplementing a soup or stew with a punch of texture and nutrient density, nothing beats a good snap bean. And among all the varieties out there, one of the most beloved for generations has been Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans!

This golden standard of green beans is as easy to grow as it is delicious to consume. Read on to learn the ins and outs of the Kentucky Wonder Pole Bean and prepare yourself to grow and enjoy them yourself!

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Characteristics of Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans

Though in many ways, Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans might not have any characteristics that immediately distinguish them from most other pole bean types, that is by no means indicative of a lack of quality!

Some of the most treasured things about these famous, old-fashioned beans are their size, taste, texture, and overall hardiness. The bean pods grow to be about 8 to 9 inches long, each one smooth and deep green with brown seeds inside.

When harvested at the proper time—before they reach full maturity—Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans are stringless and carry a rich, distinctly classic green bean flavor.

These bean pods also come in vigorous batches when the plants are continuously harvested throughout the year, and they present as resistant to bean rust and are adaptable to many various climates across different growing zones.

This makes them ideal candidates for all sorts of growing locations and styles, and their bumper crops hold up well to many forms of preservation and consumption.

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Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans Specific

Eating Them

As a classic green bean, Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans will do fantastically in just about any dish you can dream up for green beans. This includes as a simple side—blanched, steamed, or boiled—with butter and herbs, in a holiday casserole, in stews or soups, and much, much more!

You can also get a little fancier and toss your steamed Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans in coconut aminos, balsamic vinegar, or olive oil. They are wonderful roasted with some cheese shredded on top or paired with such fresh vegetables as tomatoes.

In addition, these pole beans can be enjoyed shelled, in which case they present a taste often likened to pinto beans. They can also be stored via canning or freezing for later consumption.

If you aren’t planning to store your Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans long-term, however, they should be refrigerated and then consumed within a week for optimal freshness.

Health Benefits

Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans contain many of the same health benefits as other green beans and similar types of beans, or legumes. They are a great source of many vital nutrients that are readily bioavailable and easy to digest and absorb. This includes dietary fiber, protein, manganese, beta carotene, and protein, as well as various vitamins such as A and C.

In addition, Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans are a great asset to maintaining healthy weight, strong bones, and organs and muscles that are in tip-top shape. The Vitamin C they contain helps boost the immune system, while the Vitamin A aids in improved eyesight as well as reducing overall body inflammation.

While there are some folks who have reported a bit of indigestion after consuming Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans and other similar legumes, this digestion difficulty is not common and is typically based on a person’s bio-individual needs. As a whole, most will find that Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans are a great asset to a healthy, balanced diet.

Growing At Home

Not only are Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans an exceptionally easy bean variety to grow at home, they are also great space savers!

Due to being a trellis growing plant, these pole beans need more upward room than outward, requiring about only half the space of a bush bean variety; so even folks with a small garden can plant and enjoy some Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans!

To start off with, in the spring, you will need to weed and deeply till the soil in about a 4-foot patch of garden space within direct sunlight to prepare for your Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans.

This deep tilling is necessary because, while these beans grow upward aboveground, they also put down roots sometimes up to 30 inches long! The soil needs to have a balanced pH level of 6.0 to 6.8, and be well-draining also.

To support your Kentucky Wonder Pole Bean plants, you have the option of purchasing some poles—such as bamboo or other similar material—and creating a tepee shape with them for the plants to grow upward on.

If this structure seems a little intimidating, you can also search for a premade trellis specifically designed for pole beans and other upward plant growth. Many lawn and garden centers and online retailors will stock this sort of trellising.

Once you have ensured the location and position of your trellis, you can plant your Kentucky Wonder Pole Bean seeds and watch the beauty of nature unfold!

Make sure that the final threat of frost has passed in your area before sowing directly into the soil; otherwise, you can also start some of these pole bean seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before the last usual frost and then transplant the seedlings into the trellised area.

After all is said and done, you will have about 70 days until your Kentucky Wonder Pole Bean plants mature. During this time, be sure to water your plants around the base up to 1 inch of water a week.

Avoid wetting the leaves, however, as this can lead to serious disease and compromise that will decrease your yields significantly.

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Wrapping Up Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans

Before you get started on growing and enjoying your own Kentucky Wonder Pole Beans, be sure to check out our Bean Plants page. This is a great resource to learn about lots of types of beans, which ones you should and should not plant together, and much, much more.