Masai Bush Haricots Vert

Masai
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Masai Bush Haricots Vert

Phaseolus vulgaris
(58 days) Open-pollinated. Unlike classic haricot verts, Masai grows only 5" long, the slender pods juicy and crisp with a pleasing beany flavor. Although much more compact than Provider, each plant cranks out dozens of the diminutive beans that hold longer without fattening, so Masai allows a short vacation from the garden. Elaine Carlson calls them “one of the wonders of the world—I cannot believe how long these green crunchy slivers stand on the little plants.” But Holli Cederholm found she had to pick them every other day to achieve the tender gourmet restaurant quality her markets demanded. Otherwise the pods got too tough for her. A space saver since only a few plants will suffice for a small family. The name Masai is a misspelling by British colonizers of Maasai, a tribe of East Africa. White seed. ~160 seeds/oz. ⑥


248 Masai
Item Discounted
Price
A: 1/2oz for $3.25  
B: 2oz for $6.00  
C: 8oz for $15.50  
D: 1lb for $26.00  

Additional Information

Bush Haricots Verts

  • Average 70–125 seeds/half oz packet.
  • Half oz packet sows 10-16 ft; 1 lb, 320-500 ft.

Haricot vert is French for green bean. Also called filet beans. This gourmet type can command a premium in high-end markets, but are also reliable and suited to the fancy home gardener. Seeds are smaller than those regular bush beans, and the slender tender pods take less time to cook.

For optimal flavor and texture, pick often and when pods are thinner than a pencil. Picking interval should be 48 hours or less. Be sure soil temps have reached optimal range (60–80°) before seeding.

Beans

  • All beans are open-pollinated.
  • Days to maturity are from emergence after direct sowing.

Culture: Tender, will not survive frost. Inoculate with a legume inoculant, then plant seeds 3–4" apart in rows 24–30" apart after all danger of frost has passed and soil has warmed. Minimum germination soil temperature 60°; optimal range 70–80°. White-seeded beans are generally more sensitive to cold soil temps than dark-seeded varieties. Legumes have moderate fertility needs and can fix their own nitrogen. Excessive nitrogen may induce some bush varieties to develop vines in moist hot weather.

Saving Seed: Saving bean seed is easy! Leave pods on the plants to dry. Hand shell, or stomp pods on a tarp. To ensure true-to-type seed, separate varieties by 30 feet.

Diseases:

  • ANTH: Anthracnose
  • BBS: Bacterial Brown Spot
  • CBMV: Common Bean Mosaic Virus
  • CTV: Curly Top Virus
  • DM: Downy Mildew
  • HB: Halo Blight
  • NY 15: NY 15 Mosaic Virus
  • PM: Powdery Mildew
  • PMV: Pod Mottle Virus
  • R: Rust
  • SC: Sclerotina

White mold, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, affects more than 300 plant species. In beans, low humidity, good air circulation and wider spacing, both between plants and between rows, reduce the likelihood of this soil-borne infection.

Germination Testing

For the latest results of our germination tests, please see the germination page.