UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Every year, experts from Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences select the top garden varieties of vegetable crops at the Penn State Horticulture Trial Gardens.

Peter Ferretti, professor of vegetable crops, oversees All-America Selections (AAS) vegetable trials and offers his top five recommendations for backyard bean growers.

--Provider: This variety grows as a bush, making it easy to grow and harvest. It produces quality green beans early and has consistently high yields. The beans are round and stringless.

--Bush Blue Lake types: Another class of bush varieties that are standards for canning, freezing and fresh uses.

--Bush Kentucky Wonder: This bush bean produces flat, medium-green pods that can reach 7 inches in length and still are tender and flavorful.

--Kentucky Blue: A 1991 AAS winner, this bean is a climbing, or pole, variety. It grows very fast and produces sturdy plants. "This is a very high-quality bean for eating fresh," Ferretti says.

--Fordhook 242: "This is probably the highest quality standard lima bean ever developed," Ferretti says. "It was a 1945 AAS winner, so it has weathered the test of time." The plant tolerates hot and dry weather and produces high quality crops consistently. The bean is very large and has a very buttery flavor, he says.

Ferretti says his choices are disease resistant but advises consumers to check the seed packet or garden center for specific disease-resistance information.

###

EDITORS: For more information, contact Pete Ferretti at 814-863-2313.

Contact: Jeff Mulhollem jjm29@psu.edu 814-863-2719 814-865-1068 fax