PlantFiles: Pole Bean
Phaseolus vulgaris 'Zelma Zesta'

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Family: Papilionaceae (pa-pil-ee-uh-NAY-see-ee) (Info)
Genus: Phaseolus (FAZ-ee-oh-lus) (Info)
Species: vulgaris (vul-GAIR-iss) (Info)
Cultivar: Zelma Zesta
Hybridized by JC Metze

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One member has or wants this plant for trade.

Category:
Annuals
Vegetables
Vines and Climbers

Height:
10-12 ft. (3-3.6 m)

Spacing:
6-9 in. (15-22 cm)
9-12 in. (22-30 cm)

Seed Type:
Open Pollinated

Growth Habit:
Climbing

Sun Exposure:
Full Sun

Danger:
Handling plant may cause skin irritation or allergic reaction

Days to Maturity:
61 to 70 days
71 to 80 days

Bloom Color:
Rose/Mauve

Soil pH requirements:
5.6 to 6.0 (acidic)
6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic)
6.6 to 7.5 (neutral)

Propagation Methods:
From seed; sow indoors before last frost
From seed; direct sow after last frost

Seed Collecting:
Allow pods to dry on plant; break open to collect seeds

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By girlgroupgirl

Thumbnail #1 of Phaseolus vulgaris by girlgroupgirl

Profile:

1 positive
1 neutral
No negatives

Gardeners' Notes:

Rating	Author	Comment
Neutral	Farmerdill	On Jan 18, 2013, Farmerdill from Augusta, GA (Zone 8a) wrote: Also sold as Selma Zesta. "Heirloom (Pole) developed by Mr. J.C. Metze, Little Mountain, SC in the 1940’s by careful plant selection. The beans are a pretty olive green speckled with purple. The stringless pods are tasty at any stage. The seed remain fairly small inside the pods for a long period of time and the “meat” of the beans that thickens gives you a real mouthful."
Positive	girlgroupgirl	On Aug 5, 2007, girlgroupgirl wrote: I was given the seeds for this plant at the Old Timey Seed Swap this year, by the developer's great neice. It is a pretty bean, a medium green with purple speckles and striations. It has been a very dry year for us, and the plant has some problems with leaf yellowing and dropping, however, that is not stopping bean production! The beans are fairly prolific, and tasty even when quite large. This is a lost heirloom bean!

Regional...

This plant has been said to grow in the following regions:

Gresham Park, Georgia

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