Blue Lake Green Bean

Phaseolus vulgaris 'Blue Lake'

vegetable

Blue Lake is a classic American snap bean famous for straight, round, deep-green pods that stay tender and stringless with a sweet, old-fashioned flavor, equally good fresh, canned, or frozen. The original is a vigorous pole bean that climbs to six feet and bears over a long season, ripening its first pods in about 60 to 65 days and producing until frost.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Corn — Natural trellis and a Mexican bean beetle deterrent in the Three Sisters
• Nasturtium — Traps aphids and deters bean beetles
• Marigold — Repels beetles and nematodes
• Summer Savory — The classic bean herb that deters bean beetles

❌ Keep away from

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Mexican bean beetle →

  Plant near corn or cucumber; interplant nasturtium and summer savory; hand-pick adults and crush yellow egg clusters on leaf undersides

• Aphids →

  Draw in ladybugs and lacewings with flowers; rinse off colonies

• Stunted growth near alliums

  Keep beans away from onions and garlic, whose compounds disrupt their nitrogen-fixing bacteria

🌾 Harvest & storage

Pick the pods young, when they are firm, pencil-thick, and snap cleanly, before the seeds inside swell and the pods turn tough and stringy. Harvest every two to three days, since frequent picking keeps the vines flowering and producing for weeks.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

Snap beans are low in calories and a good source of vitamins C and K, with fiber, folate, and manganese, and they deliver a little plant protein along with their crisp texture.