How to Grow Purple Top Turnip Bean
Phaseolus vulgaris 'Purple Top'
Purple Top Turnip Bean is a warm-season heirloom variety of common bean prized for its vibrant purple foliage and reliable yield. Gardeners grow it to add visual interest to summer gardens while enjoying nutritious pods that mature quickly after the soil warms.
📷 Wikipedia: Phaseolus vulgarisStarting Purple Top Turnip Bean: indoors or direct sow?
🌾 Sow directly in the garden — Purple Top Turnip Bean is not usually started indoors.
Direct sow seeds outdoors only after all danger of frost has passed and soil temperatures have warmed sufficiently for bean growth.
Soil, care & harvest
Prepare loose, well-draining soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.5 before planting. As a warm-season crop, you must wait until after the last spring frost when the ground is fully warmed to avoid killing the plants. Sow seeds directly outdoors at a depth of about an inch, where they typically germinate within seven to twelve days.
Space plants six to eight inches apart in rows to ensure good airflow. Because this variety does not require support, you can skip trellising unless your specific cultivar grows exceptionally tall. Water deeply once or twice a week to maintain one to one-and-a-half inches of moisture, and apply mulch to retain soil temperature and suppress weeds.
Monitor for bean beetles, aphids, leafhoppers, and spider mites; treat infestations early with insecticidal soap. Watch for bacterial blight, rust, anthracnose, and mosaic virus by rotating crops annually. Harvest the pods in sixty-five to seventy-five days after sowing when they are tender and filled.
When to Plant Purple Top Turnip Bean
Planting windows vary by USDA hardiness zone. Look up yours by ZIP code.
| Zone | Start Indoors | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | — | July – August | October – August |
| Zone 2 | — | June – August | September |
| Zone 3 | — | June – July | September – October |
| Zone 4 | — | June – July | September – October |
| Zone 5 | — | May – June | August – October |
| Zone 6 | — | May – June | August – September |
| Zone 7 | — | April – June | July – September |
| Zone 8 | — | April – May | July – August |
| Zone 9 | — | March – April | June – July |
| Zone 10 | — | February – April | May – July |
| Zone 11 | — | January – March | April – June |
| Zone 12 | — | January – March | April – June |
| Zone 13 | — | January – March | April – June |
Companion Plants for Purple Top Turnip Bean
✓ Good companions
Help loosen soil for bean roots and don't compete for nutrients
Provides natural support structure for climbing beans and benefits from nitrogen fixation
Benefits from bean nitrogen fixation and provides ground cover to retain moisture
Repels bean beetles, aphids, and nematodes while attracting beneficial insects
Acts as trap crop for aphids and cucumber beetles while repelling bean beetles
Break up compacted soil and mature quickly without competing for space
Ground cover reduces weeds and retains soil moisture, part of Three Sisters companion planting
Repels bean beetles and may improve bean flavor and growth
✗ Keep away from
Produces allelopathic compounds that inhibit growth of beans and most garden plants
Releases compounds that can stunt bean growth and interfere with beneficial bacteria
Can inhibit bean growth and nitrogen fixation through root secretions
Compete heavily for nutrients and water, and may release growth-inhibiting chemicals
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving (USDA FoodData Central)
