Best new AAS French green beans

By the time ‘Mascotte’ green bean seeds arrived, my bean patch was cleaned up and finished for the season. I was curious to see if I could squeeze another crop of green beans in for the season.

Harris Seed was kind enough to send a trial packet of these 'Mascotte' Beans, the 2014 AAS Vegetable Award Winner. They suggested I try to get in one more crop of beans this year. I was skeptical as I planted the seeds more closely than recommended.

Every seed came up and I had to thin them in no time. The plants are still too close, but show no sign of disease. Starting with warmed soil and plenty of rain boosted germination to 100%. The dwarf plants grow like any green bean, best in full sun.

Today we had the small French green beans for dinner. They are small and delicate, like a dish you would find lightly steamed and plated artfully in the best restaurant.

A few bugs are eating the beautiful leaves, I hosed off the container filled bean plants then sprayed a couple of times with Safers Soap. I'll be done with the harvest and have the plants turned under before serious real insect damage occurs.

The bean plants are about 1 ½ feet tall, and loaded with beans. The flowers bloom up above the plant and the green beans stick up over the bean plants. This makes for an easy-to-pick harvest.

These thin, straight, little beans are mild flavored, stringless and tender. 'Mascotte' Beans are meant to be picked and eaten asap. They don't keep well, so you won't find them in grocery stores. These beans look like just-picked vegetables found in market gardens, sold at premium price.

I'll pick “Mascotte” beans until frost. Next spring, I would grow them in a wider row in the garden because I want to freeze some, just to see how they do. The slender beans will be served steamed as a side dish, fresh on vegetable plates and in antipasti salads.

I'm charmed by this new “Mascotte” bean. As a 2014 AAS Vegetable Award Winner, it will be easy to find. My trial packet of seed came from Harris Seed.

All-America Selections (AAS) is an independent, non-profit organization that tests new varieties then introduces only the best garden performers as AAS Winners.

The AAS Winners are "Tested Nationally and Proven Locally®".

They offer gardeners new varieties that have superior garden performance throughout North American Trial Grounds.

What's so special about AAS plants? The judges look for significantly improved qualities and superior overall performance.

For example: early bloom or harvest, disease or pest tolerance, new colors or tastes, unusual flower forms, total yield, length of flowering or harvest. To be considered by Judges for an AAS Award, every entry needs to have at least two significantly improved qualities.

AAS on the packet means I can count on the seed my zone 6a Southeast MO garden and recommend it to friends anywhere in the United States.

If you think you have no place to grow green beans, they these beans in a hanging basket. Mascotte is meant for containers. The small size plants grow full size beans, keep them picked to encourage more beans.

The bean plants are small enough to grow in a hanging basket. Container sized beans work well for hanging baskets. The bean flowers stand up above the foliage. The plants are a pretty enough to be hanging basket. Add a bit of whimsy to your container gardens with this green bean.

Bush beans, are also called snap beans because they "snap" when the ripe pods are broken in two.

Some folks still call them "string" beans. Today's green beans do not have that fibrous “string” running the length of the pod.

Pole beans need support to grow vertically. They take less space but are more work, staking and weeding. Bush beans can be planted closely and will smother out most weeds.

Try this tip from Renee's Garden Plant pole beans and bush beans at the same time, bush beans will finish bearing just as the pole beans come on.

Green beans means beans

They are all green beans, no matter what color. "Go pick the green beans."

"Which ones?"

"The yellow green beans and check to see if the Dragon Tongue green beens are ready to pick."

Green, purple, yellow, or mottled. In the summer they are all green beans. Dry beans? That's another story.