How to Grow Yardlong Beans

On this page
  1. Yardlong Bean (Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis)
  2. At a Glance
  3. Quick Facts
  4. Soil & Growing Conditions
  5. Growth Stages
  6. Harvest & Storage
  7. Diseases
  8. Pests
  9. Plan your Yardlong Beans planting
  10. Growing Yardlong Bean in another region
  11. Sources
  12. Frequently Asked Questions

Yardlong beans are ready to harvest 75 days after planting.

Yardlong beans (Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis) — annual.

The short answer

Ready in
75 days
Site
6+ hours of sun, soil pH 5.5–6.5
Biggest risk
Powdery mildew

Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural sources — see References.

Yardlong Bean (Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis)

Very long yardlong bean pods hanging from the climbing vine — “Vigna unguiculata subsp.sesquipedalis-3-veerapandy-coimbatore-India” by Yercaud-elango is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Also known as: snake bean, Chinese long bean, asparagus bean · 6 sources cited · Verified

At a Glance

A pile of harvested yardlong bean pods — “Achinga - asparagus bean” by Vis M is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Achinga - asparagus bean” by Vis M is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Vigna unguiculata subsp… Yardlong Bean Powdery mildew Aphids Glasshouse red spider m… Cowpea curculio DISEASES PESTS

Quick Facts

Very long yardlong bean pods hanging from the climbing vine — “Vigna unguiculata subsp.sesquipedalis-3-veerapandy-coimbatore-India” by Yercaud-elango is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Vigna unguiculata subsp.sesquipedalis-3-veerapandy-coimbatore-India” by Yercaud-elango is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Factor Value
Soil pH 5.5 - 6.5
Sunlight 6-6 hours direct sun
Time to harvest 75-75 days
Drainage Well-drained
Lifecycle annual
Edible parts pods

Soil & Growing Conditions

A yardlong bean crop climbing up supports — “"+arya+" kacang panjang (Vigna unguiculata sesquipedalis) ꦏꦕꦁ ꦭꦚ꧀ꦗꦫꦤ꧀ 2020 4” by Aris riyanto is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“"+arya+" kacang panjang (Vigna unguiculata sesquipedalis) ꦏꦕꦁ ꦭꦚ꧀ꦗꦫꦤ꧀ 2020 4” by Aris riyanto is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Soil pH range

5.5 6.5

Span reflects genuine variation between the cited authorities, not a single agreed figure.

Growth Stages

A pale yardlong bean pea flower — “Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis JRVdH 01” by Cephas is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis JRVdH 01” by Cephas is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Stage BBCH Notes
Sowing under cover 0 Sow indoors into small pots from mid April to mid May; outdoor sowing late May to June is possible but best done under cover, as the crop needs real heat (Garden Organic).
Transplanting and support 1 Transplant after frost risk passes in late May or early June, up pole wigwams in groups of six or eight like runner beans, or three per growbag or two in a 30cm pot; work in a light dressing of compost first (Garden Organic).
Climbing and flowering 5 Plants twine anticlockwise to about 2m and carry pale lilac to white pea flowers.
Pod harvest 8 Pick pods from about 28cm long, from mid July, while they are no thicker than a biro -- thicker pods turn leathery. Pick at least twice weekly to keep production going; watch for red spider mite in very hot, dry conditions (Garden Organic).

Harvest & Storage

A pile of harvested yardlong bean pods — “Achinga - asparagus bean” by Vis M is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Achinga - asparagus bean” by Vis M is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to pick: Garden Organic: "around 2.5 months" to harvest; pods picked "from 28cm long, from mid July"; "harvested when they are no thicker than a biro, otherwise they turn leathery"; pick "at least twice a week". NC State: "harvest the beans when they are 12 to 14 inches long and about half the diameter of a pencil...the pods should be firm and snap when bent".

Storage

Best used fresh soon after picking

Diseases

A grower carrying a large armful of freshly picked yardlong beans — “Panen Kacang Panjang” by M Joko Apriyo Putro is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Panen Kacang Panjang” by M Joko Apriyo Putro is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Pests

Very long yardlong bean pods hanging from the climbing vine — “Vigna unguiculata subsp.sesquipedalis-3-veerapandy-coimbatore-India” by Yercaud-elango is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Vigna unguiculata subsp.sesquipedalis-3-veerapandy-coimbatore-India” by Yercaud-elango is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Aphididae (various spp.)

Two-spotted red spider mite with silk threads, magnified — Gilles San Martin, CC BY-SA 2.0
Gilles San Martin, CC BY-SA 2.0
Glasshouse red spider mite (two-spotted spider mite)

Tetranychus urticae

Cowpea curculio

Chalcodermus aeneus

A pest of the southeastern US specifically -- not a UK or Canadian concern. Its preferred host is cowpea/southern pea, the same species (Vigna unguiculata) as yardlong bean. Adults lay eggs directly in the pods and the…

Plan your Yardlong Beans planting

Timing for Yardlong Beans follows soil temperature and frost, not the calendar date. The Global vegetable planting calendar explains the method. To work out where it fits in your beds, sketch your plot in the free Garden Layout Planner.

Growing Yardlong Bean in another region

Sowing dates, frost timing and local advice differ by country. Use the guide for where you garden.

Sources

These source is specific to this region. The full list of 6 sources behind this guide (Garden Organic, GBIF, NC State Extension and others) is in the references of our UK guide to yardlong beans; they describe the plant itself, which is the same wherever it grows.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do yardlong beans take to grow?

Typically 75 days, depending on cultivar and growing conditions.

What soil pH do yardlong beans need?

A pH of about 5.5–6.5. That span reflects genuine variation between the authorities we cite rather than a single agreed figure — the References section lists each source's exact range.

What problems affect yardlong beans?

Our data links 1 disease and 3 pests to this crop. See the sections above for each one and how to manage it.

Plan next season before the problems start

This page gives you the thresholds; the planner turns them into your own calendar. It works from what you can observe and measure in your garden rather than from dates written for somebody else’s latitude.

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SoilCommander Editorial Team — under the guidance of Nitin Sharma, Co-Founder

Every growing guide is checked against RHS, USDA Cooperative Extension, and other named horticultural authorities before publishing. How we check our facts.

How this guide is put together

The growing data on this page — sowing windows, pests, diseases, soil and site requirements — comes from named horticultural sources, listed in References below, checked against international horticultural research and extension sources. An automated pipeline assembles that verified data into the page you're reading: it selects which facts to lead with and builds the surrounding prose and layout. It does not invent a date, a source or a number — where a verified value for a field isn't available, the page leaves it out rather than guessing. A person reviews and publishes each page; nothing goes live unverified.

Vegetable Growing Guides

Last verified 2026-09-02

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