Contender Bush Bean

Be sure to check out our Beans Growing Guide for more tips & tricks on successfully growing beans. 

Contender Bush Bean is a stringless, open-pollinated bush bean variety that produces about a week earlier than most bush bean varieties. Due to its early production, this is a great variety for planting zones with shorter growing seasons. And because it is widely-adapted, it performs great in southern climates as well. Upright plants produce 5-8" pods that are best when harvested around 5-6" long. Contender Bush Bean is the standard variety for canning or freezing. Snap beans or preserve them whole. We recommend canning beans and small potatoes in the same jar for a perfect combination!

Beans should be planted in spring after the last frost has occurred. Beans will germinate best once soil temps have reached 65 F or higher. Optimal germination temperature is around 77 F. Seeds can require 8 to 16 days to germinate, depending on the soil temperature. For continual production, succession plant every couple of weeks throughout the spring and early summer. Plants will drop blooms or cease production in the heat of summer. Subsequent succession plantings may be made in late summer/fall, as long as enough time is permitted before the first frost date.

Direct seeding is recommended. We suggest using a #6 plate on the Hoss Garden Seeder and modifying the hole size (if necessary) to fit the seed size. Beans should be planted relatively thick along the row and thinned to the desired spacing. To maximize garden space, consider using a double-row spacing. For double-row spacing, rows may be planted as close as 6" apart with 3' spacing between double rows. For single row spacing, 2' to 3' spacing is recommended.

Contender Bush Bean Planting Information

Planting Method: direct sow

When to Plant: after last frost

Planting Depth: 1"

Seed Spacing: 3-4"

Row Spacing: 3'

Days to Maturity: 55

Disease Resistance: Common Bean Mosaic Virus, Powdery Mildew