Blue Lake 274 Bush Bean Seeds

Days to Maturity: 55

Blue Lake 274, an heirloom bush bean, also called bunch beans, sets pea-shaped buds that blossom into small flowers, followed by very straight and plump dark green pods—about 5½ inches long—with tender white seeds. The flavor and texture have made this bean a classic favorite for many years, and the one by which all others are judged.

Blue Lake 274 Bean, an herbaceous tender annual, is a determinate variety, growing in a low, compact, self-supporting bush that stands erect, suitable for containers and window boxes. The prolific plant produces a huge yield that holds well, ensuring a large, one-time crop. For a continual, season-long harvest, succession plant every two weeks until about mid-August.

Easy to grow and trouble free, even for the new gardener, this shallow-rooted plant prefers a sunny location with moist, fertile, organically rich, well-drained loams. Blue Lake 274 Bean is famously well-adapted to almost any region. Self-pollinating, it will bear fruit without any pollen from other varieties.

A warm-season vegetable, sensitive to cold temperatures and frost, it is best direct sown into warm spring soil after all danger of frost has passed.

Plants can also be started indoors and planted outdoors after the risk of frost has passed. If you plan to start your seeds indoors, be sure to check out our Bio Dome Seed Starter Kit. With the Bio Dome, you can control the temperature, light, and soil mix to ensure your seeds become strong for transplant.

Like all legumes, Blue Lake 274 is a nitrogen-fixer in the soil. After the final harvest is in, chop up the plant and work it back into the soil. You will be delighted with what it does for the quality of your soil next season.