The Bean Bush Snap Contender, 'Phaseolus vulgaris', is the earliest bean we could find. The Contender is tasty, stringless, and it takes only 40 days from sowing to harvest. You just won't find an earlier bean. Contender will tolerate hot temperatures and mildew and is very productive. Like other snap beans, Contender is stringless and excellent cooked or eaten right out of the garden. The beans are 6 inches long, thick, and slightly curved. The plants are 12 to 20 inches tall.
Plant after the last average frost date. Snap beans prefer rich, organic, and well drained soil. Snap beans are ready to pick when the pod "snaps" or breaks in half cleanly. This is when the seeds have just begun to form.