Bean Seeds - Bush - Sonesta
70-80 Days to maturity. Phaseolus vulgaris. Sonesta Bush Wax Bean Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, bush, snap, wax bean. Suitable for growing in containers, garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses. Resistant to halo blight, anthracnose, and bean common mosaic virus. Sonesta is a European market favorite prized for its slender, stringless, buttery yellow pods, compact, high-yielding bush habit, and reliable disease resistance, making it a dependable choice for home gardeners and small market growers alike. Enjoy fresh, frozen, or pickled. ~100 seeds/oz.
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Growing Sonesta Bush Beans in the Vegetable Garden
Direct sow Sonesta bean seeds 1 inch deep once soil temperatures are reliably above 60 F, usually one to two weeks after your last spring frost. Space seeds 4-6 inches apart in rows spaced 18-24 inches apart, thinning as needed once seedlings emerge. Beans grow best without root disturbance, so direct sowing is strongly recommended over starting indoors and transplanting.
Sonesta plants are compact and self-supporting, needing no trellis or stakes, which makes them a great fit for raised beds and containers. As nitrogen-fixing legumes, beans are light feeders and generally do not need supplemental nitrogen fertilizer. Keep soil evenly moist, especially during flowering and pod set, and consider succession planting every two to three weeks for a continuous harvest through the season.
Harvesting Sonesta Beans
Sonesta is a snap, or wax, bean, so pods are picked and eaten young rather than left to dry like a shell bean. Harvest pods once they reach about 4-6 inches long and are firm enough to snap cleanly, before the seeds inside begin to bulge visibly through the pod wall. Pick every two to three days once pods start forming to keep plants productive, and harvest in the morning after dew has dried for the best flavor and storage life.
About Sonesta Bean Garden Seeds
Sonesta is a bush-type wax bean developed for market gardeners and home growers looking for a dependable, disease-resistant snap bean with excellent yellow pod color.
Breeding behind Sonesta focused on building in resistance to halo blight, anthracnose, and bean common mosaic virus, three of the most common diseases that can trouble a home bean patch.
Because true beans are self-pollinating and rarely cross with other varieties, Sonesta is also considered a beginner-friendly variety for gardeners interested in saving their own seed.
Tips From Our Gardeners
Pick Sonesta pods often. The more you harvest, the more the plant will keep producing, so check your bean patch every couple of days once pods begin to size up.
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- Jerry Sawyer, True Leaf Market Writer |
Sonesta Bush Bean Seeds Per Package:
- 18g Packet - Approximately 64 Seeds
- 4 oz - Bulk Seeds - Approximately 400 Seeds
- 1 lb - Wholesale - Approximately 1,600 Seeds
- 5 lb - Wholesale - Approximately 8,000 Seeds
Non-GMO Sonesta Bush Bean seeds are available for Fast Free Shipping (opens in a new tab) on qualifying orders.
Basic Info
| Latin Name: | Phaseolus vulgaris |
| Bean Sub-Type: | Wax - Wax beans, also called yellow beans, are nearly identical to green snap beans in flavor and texture. They simply lack the chlorophyll that gives green beans their color, which is what gives Sonesta pods their buttery yellow hue. |
| Sonesta Bean Color: | Buttery yellow |
| Sonesta Bean Flavor: | Sweet and mild with a tender, stringless, fleshy pod |
Growing Info
| Hardiness Zone: | 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11; Annual Crop: Not Intended to Overwinter |
| Days to Maturity: | 70-80 |
| Days to Germination: | 7-14 |
| Seeding Depth: | 1 inch |
| Plant Spacing: | 4-6 inches |
| Row Spacing: | 18-24 inches |
| Plant Height: | 12-20 inches |
| Growth Habit: | Bush, Upright |
| Soil Preference: | Beans prefer well-draining, nutrient-rich, loamy soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.8. As light feeders and nitrogen-fixing legumes, beans do not require nitrogen-heavy fertilizers. |
| Temperature Preference: | Warmer (70-85 F). |
| Light Preference: | Full Sun |
Other
| Direct Sow: | Yes, direct sow when soil temperatures are reliably above 60 F. Planting with an inoculant may increase yields, but is certainly not required for a successful grow. |
| Start Indoors: | Not recommended. Beans grow best without any root disturbance, so we recommend direct sowing instead of transplanting. |
| Bean Pollination: | Beans are self-pollinating, as they contain both the male and female parts within their flowers, unlike many other fruiting vegetables. Even though they self-pollinate, having a variety of pollinators and flowers nearby can improve yields by increasing the likelihood of pollination. |
| Snap or Shell Bean: | Snap - Sonesta is a snap bean with a fleshy, edible pod, sometimes called a string bean or wax bean depending on pod color. |
| Pole or Bush Bean: | Bush - Sonesta grows on low-growing, compact, upright plants that do not require a trellis, pole, or other support, making it well suited to container growing. |
| Plant Width: | 12-18 inches |
| Growth Speed: | Mid - Ready for harvest around 66-86 days. |
| Deer Resistant: | No |
| Germination Temperature: | 70-90 F |
| Pests and Diseases: | Resistant to halo blight, anthracnose, and bean common mosaic virus. Beans are also susceptible to beetles, aphids, spider mites, and cutworms. Look for signs of chewing, curling leaves, eggs on the undersides of leaves, and leaf discoloration. Keeping bean plants clean of dust buildup and surrounded by a variety of companion plants helps deter and prevent pest damage. Maintain a regular watering schedule that avoids overly saturated soil so the roots have time to air out between waterings, and water the ground rather than the leaves to help prevent fungal and bacterial disease. |
| Garden Size: | Greenhouse, Garden Plot, Raised Bed, Container |
| Bean Use: | Fresh eating, freezing, canning, and pickling |
| Climate Tolerance: | Heat tolerant |