Pole Bean
Cobra Bean is a pole bean variety that matures in just 55 days, making it one of the quicker options for gardeners eager to harvest fresh beans. This open-pollinated cultivar offers the eating quality of Fortex, a proven favorite among bean growers, but arrives on the scene as a worthy alternative with its own garden credentials. Grown vertically on trellises or poles, Cobra Bean rewards efficient gardeners with concentrated harvests and the practical advantage of vertical growth that saves garden space.
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Moderate
1-10
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Annual
High
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Cobra Bean delivers reliable performance as a pole bean that reaches the table in under two months. It shares the excellent eating quality that made Fortex a standard in vegetable gardens, giving home growers confidence in both flavor and texture. The 55-day timeline to harvest means you can succession plant throughout the growing season and enjoy multiple waves of fresh beans without waiting through a long season.
Cobra Bean is grown for its edible pods, harvested at the snap bean stage and used fresh in the kitchen. The beans work well steamed, sautéed, or added to stir-fries, salads, and side dishes where their reliable eating quality shines through.
Direct sow seeds outdoors after the last frost date when soil temperatures are at least 60°F. Plant seeds 1 inch deep and thin seedlings to the spacing recommended for your trellis system.
Harvest Cobra Bean pods when they reach full length but are still tender and snap cleanly when bent, typically 55 days after sowing. Pick pods regularly to encourage continued flowering and production throughout the season. Harvest in the early morning when pods are crisp and cool, handling the vines gently to avoid damaging the plant.
As a pole bean, Cobra Bean naturally grows upward along your support structure and requires no pruning. Simply guide the vines onto the trellis, poles, or mesh fencing as they emerge, and they'll climb with minimal intervention.
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