Blue Lake 274 Bush Bean is a compact, reliable producer that delivers tender pods in just 58 days from seed. This cultivar grows to a tidy 16-18 inches tall, making it perfect for smaller gardens and containers, and thrives across hardiness zones 3-10. The variety produces the classic Blue Lake snap beans home gardeners have loved for generations, with a straightforward growing season that rewards even novice growers with abundant harvests.
Full Sun
Moderate
3-10
18in H x ?in W
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Moderate
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This bush form of the legendary Blue Lake line cuts out the need for trellising while maintaining the crisp, tender snap beans that made the original Blue Lake famous. At just 16-18 inches tall, it fits neatly into tight spaces yet produces generously. The 58-day timeline means you can succession-sow every week or two throughout the season, staggering your harvests from mid-summer through fall.
Blue Lake 274 produces tender snap beans that are excellent fresh in salads, steamed or sautéed as a simple side dish, or roasted to bring out their natural sweetness. The pods are ideal for freezing, allowing you to preserve the harvest for winter cooking.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Not recommended; direct sowing yields better results.
Sow seeds 1 to 2 weeks after your average last frost date, when soil temperature reaches at least 65 degrees Fahrenheit, ideally between 70 and 85 degrees. For continuous harvests, succession-sow every 7 to 14 days, stopping 80 days before your average first fall frost date.
Pick pods when they reach tender maturity, typically around 58 days after sowing. Harvest regularly when pods are bright green and snap cleanly when bent; waiting too long results in tougher, less flavorful beans. Frequent picking encourages continued pod production throughout the season.
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