Cabot Bush Bean Seeds

Days to Maturity: 55 from direct sow

Bush Bean

Three things distinguish Cabot from other bush beans:
Delectable flavor
Unbeatable disease resistance
Easier harvesting

First and most importantly, flavor! These straight, dark green pods average 5½ inches long, packed with delectable seeds and very uniform (which simplifies canning). The bite is full-bodied and succulent, a homegrown richness of flavor that you just can't get from supermarket beans. You will love them straight off the plant as well as cooked in all your favorite dishes.

Second, disease resistance. Beans are pretty easy to grow anyway—you really can't go wrong—but Cabot has taken their performance to a whole other level. This amazing bush bean is resistant to common bean mosaic virus, rust, common blight, halo blight, curly top virus, and bacterial brown spot. Can you imagine how big your crops will be with this kind of protection for every plant and pod.

Third, ease of harvest. We call Cabot the Stoop-free Bean because most of the pods set at the top of the plant, so you don't have to go bending and crawling around trying to find those hidden low-lying beans. You might think this isn't very important, but if you grow a lot of beans, you'll be surprised by how much time (and back pain) you save with Cabot.

For best harvest, succession-plant Cabot every 3 weeks or so from early spring till late summer (avoiding the worst summer heat in warm areas). Hardier than pole beans, bush snaps can be direct sown after all danger of frost.

Bush beans are super-easy to grow. You'll want to wait until the soil warms up in spring to sow the seeds. Space them about 2 to 4 inches apart, pushing the seeds an inch or so deep into the soil. You should see the sprouts in 1 to 2 weeks. If you are growing both bush and pole beans, expect the bush beans to mature a few weeks ahead of their pole cousins.

During the growth, mulch the plants in well to keep moisture in the soil. Beans are shallow-rooted, and they can be watered several times a week in the heat of the summer. Light feeders, they actually improve the soil as they grow, helping fix nitrogen that plants need for optimal growth. And after you harvest the last delicious bean, be sure to chop up the plants and plow them right back into the soil. You'll have a great head start on next year's crop by building up the soil.