Harvest guide

Green bean harvest guide: when to pick and how much to expect

Green beans (snap or French beans) crop heavily for weeks if you keep picking. Here is how to spot the perfect pod and how bush and pole beans compare.

Days to harvest: 45–65 days from sowing(Montana State University Extension)
Harvest months: July–October(RHS)
Typical yield: 3.6–6.8 kg per 3 m row (8–15 lb per 10 ft)(Montana State University Extension)
Spacing: 15 cm (6 in) apart, rows 45 cm (18 in) apart(RHS)
Family: Fabaceae (legume family)
Botanical name: Phaseolus vulgaris

Green bean planting and harvest calendar

Sow April–July. Harvest July–October.(RHS)

Green beans season timeline

Sow
Harvest

Months are for a temperate Northern Hemisphere climate, based on RHS (UK) guidance. Shift them earlier or later to match your own frost dates, or by about six months in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sow
Harvest

When to harvest green beans

Pick pods at about 15–20 cm (6–8 in) long, when they snap cleanly and before you can see the beans bulging inside.(RHS)
That is usually two to three weeks after the plants flower, while the seeds are still small.(University of Minnesota Extension)

How often to pick

Pick regularly. Frequent picking keeps plants producing, and green pods hide well among the leaves, so look carefully.(RHS)

Bush beans about 45–50 days, pole beans about 60–65.(Montana State University Extension)

How many green beans to expect

A 3 m (10 ft) row typically gives about 3.6–6.8 kg (8–15 lb). About 8 lb for bush beans and 15 lb for pole beans.(Montana State University Extension)

Yields vary with variety, weather, soil and care. Treat these as ballpark figures, not targets.

Plan for your family

For 4 people eating green beans fresh, plan on about 12–18 m (40–60 ft) of row(University of Missouri Extension). That should give roughly 15–41 kg (32–90 lb)(Montana State University Extension).

To preserve or store some as well, allow 6.1–9.1 m (20–30 ft) of row per person.(University of Missouri Extension)

Bush snap beans.

See the full planting-per-person guide →

Storing your green beans

Refrigerate in a bag and use within about a week.(University of Minnesota Extension)
Don't wash beans before storing. Wet pods develop dark spots and spoil quickly.(University of Maine Cooperative Extension)

Track it

Log every green bean harvest

Harvest Journal is a private garden journal for your phone. Tap to log each picking of green beans by weight or count, and see your season add up, with no account needed.

Prefer paper? Make a free harvest report PDF in your browser, with no account needed.

Green bean harvest FAQ

How do I know when green beans are ready?

The RHS suggests picking at 15–20 cm, when the pods snap easily and before the beans show through the pod. That is usually two to three weeks after flowering.

Do bush or pole beans give more?

Pole beans usually yield more over a longer season. Montana State University Extension lists about 15 lb per 10 ft row for pole beans against 8 lb for bush beans.