Seeds, Beans Pole Matilda (West Coast Seeds)

Matilda pole bean seeds produce big, nicely shaped, round beans with straight pods that average 15cm (6") long are heavily produced on this variety from German breeding. The flavour is both sweet and mild.

Plants are vigorous, productive, and early, but will produce all season long if you keep them well picked.  The pods have a nice crunch and good flavour raw, cooked, or pickled. They even stand up to blanching and freezing for winter use if any of the summer crop makes it that far.

Matures in 70 days

Season Warm season

Exposure Full-sun

Timing
Direct sow from late spring to early summer. Try to plant during a warm, dry spell. Soil must be warm – if it is not warm enough, seeds may rot, especially our untreated seeds. Optimal soil temperature: 21-32°C (70-90°F).

Starting
Seeds can be started indoors, or sowed directly. Set seeds 7-10cm (3-4″) apart and 3.5cm (1½”) deep at the base of a support. Plants will climb by twining around almost anything. Try rough poles, lumber, re-bar, or build a strong trellis 2-2.5m (6-8′) tall. Seeds will sprout in 8-16 days, depending on soil conditions.

Companion Planting
Beans fix nitrogen in the soil. Plant with Brassicas, carrots, celery, chard, corn, cucumber, eggplant, peas, potatoes, radish, and strawberries. Avoid planting near chives, garlic, leeks, and onions. Pole beans and beets stunt each other’s growth.