Kentucky Wonder Wax

Watch for fungal leaf spots and powdery mildew, which show up as speckled spots or a white dusty coating on leaves during warm, humid weather. Remove and destroy badly infected leaves, water at the soil line (not overhead), and space plants to keep airflow; if it keeps spreading, use a labeled fungicide for beans and follow the spray interval on the label. Also check for bean leaf skeletonizing from Mexican bean beetles—hand-pick adults and clusters of eggs from the underside of leaves when you first notice them.

Harvest when pods are tender and crisp, typically about 60 days from sowing, while they’re still slender and glossy (often around 4–6 inches long for this type). If you bend a pod and it snaps easily, it’s at peak tenderness; if the pods look bulged or you can feel large, firm beans inside, they’ve started to get tough and should be picked sooner next time. Pick every 1–2 days during peak production to keep new pods coming.