Contender Bean is a heat-tolerant heirloom bush bean that races from seed to harvest in just 50 to 59 days, making it invaluable for gardeners in regions with short growing seasons or late spring frosts. Known by the charming alias 'Buff Valentine,' this stringless snap bean produces abundant 6 to 8 inch tender pods perfect for fresh eating, canning, and freezing. Growing upright to 12 to 24 inches tall, it thrives in full sun across hardiness zones 3 through 11, handling both cool spring temperatures and summer heat with equal poise. The pods mature to a rich red color and arrive in August, offering reliable productivity whether you're gardening in containers, raised beds, or traditional garden plots.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
3-11
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
High
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam
Preferred Temp65-85°F
Growth Stats
24 in
Height
180 in
Width
4 in
Spacing
50–59
Days to Harvest
PeriodAnnual
TypeBush
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
High
Zones
3-11
Size
24in H x 180in W
Growth
Annual
Care
High
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Highlights
Contender beans mature faster than most other varieties, reaching harvestable pods within 50 days of planting. These stringless, tender pods deliver the dual advantage of early season resilience in cool weather and impressive heat tolerance, a rare combination that allows gardeners to plant them confidently whether spring arrives late or summer heat arrives early. Their compact, upright growth habit and container-friendly nature make them accessible to gardeners with limited space, while strong resistance to Bacterial Blight, Bacterial Leaf Spot, MV, Powdery Mildew, and other common bean diseases keeps plants productive through the season.
Common Uses
Contender beans shine as a fresh snap bean, eaten whole with their tender stringless pods at their peak. They're equally at home in the canning jar, where their firm texture holds up beautifully to heat processing, and in the freezer, where they maintain their crisp quality through months of storage. Their quick maturity and generous yields make them especially valuable for home preservation, allowing gardeners to process large batches of beans when they come in together rather than dealing with a scattered harvest.
Growing Timeline
First Bloom
Early Summer
First Harvest
Mid-summer
Last Harvest
Late Summer
Care Instructions
Direct Sow
Direct sow Contender beans outdoors after the last spring frost when soil temperatures reach at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit, ideally 65 to 75 degrees for fastest germination. Plant seeds at the appropriate depth and space them 4 inches apart in rows 24 inches apart. Since these beans mature in just 50 to 59 days, they're ideal for direct sowing and don't require indoor seed starting.
Harvesting
Begin harvesting Contender beans when the pods reach 6 to 8 inches long and snap cleanly when bent, typically 50 to 59 days after planting. Pick them regularly while the pods are still tender and before they begin to bulge with mature seeds; frequent harvesting encourages continued flowering and production. For the longest harvest window, check your plants every two to three days during peak season.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Pests & Diseases
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Bloom Time
August
Scientific Classification
Phaseolus L.
Family
Fabaceae
Genus
Phaseolus
Duration
Annual
Growth Habit
Upright
Native Status
L48 (I)PR (I)VI (I)
History & Origin
“Contender Bean carries the legacy of an open-pollinated heirloom that has proven itself across generations of gardeners. Though the exact origins of this variety are not documented in the available sources, its development as a heat-tolerant, early-maturing bush bean reflects deliberate breeding to solve real growing challenges faced by home gardeners with unpredictable spring weather and short summers. The fact that it remains widely available through major seed companies and continues to be grown by both home gardeners and commercial producers speaks to its enduring reliability and the trust gardeners have placed in it over decades.”