Snake Beans: Growing Yardlong (Asparagus) Beans in Hot Texas Weather

I'm enthralled with the Asparagus - yardlong beans! They can grow 3 feet or more. Curious as to why these are growing faster than my other bean plants, I reread the seed packet and realized this bean variety LOVES sweltering hot weather.

Why I Love Growing Yardlong Beans

Yardlong beans, sometimes called asparagus beans or snake beans, are one of the best vegetables I've grown during a hot Texas summer. Unlike many garden crops that struggle through extended periods of heat, these beans seem to thrive when temperatures climb.

Despite their name, yardlong beans usually grow between 18 and 30 inches long, although some varieties can grow even longer under ideal conditions. The pods are tender when harvested young and can be enjoyed fresh in stir-fries, soups, and many Asian-inspired dishes.

Gardening Through the Texas Heat

Texas summers can be tough on a vegetable garden. Tomatoes often slow their production, lettuce bolts quickly, and many cool-season crops simply give up. That's why it's helpful to include heat-loving vegetables like yardlong beans, peppers, melons, and okra. Choosing crops that naturally enjoy hot weather can help extend the harvest even during the hottest months of the year.

Every growing season teaches me something new. Sometimes the biggest surprise isn't which plants struggle—it's discovering the vegetables that absolutely love the Texas heat.

Check out the bean on the right. It's too long for me to fit in the picture. I'm totally in love with this plant!

My cantaloupes have been battling the heat, but so far, I've spied two healthy melons.

My best plant so far is the Galia Israeli melons. I have several melons on the vine. You can see how they've changed since my last post. Once they turn yellow, they're ripe.

Bell Peppers are doing well.

This is the Fajita Bell variety. The red bell peppers are hotter than my Serrano, and Jalapeno peppers!

My onions are sprouting. This is the batch I had purchased from Whole Foods to grow my own. I have found it's sometimes cheaper to buy organic non-hybrid vegetables to cultivate my own seeds. This way not only do I get fresh vegetables out of the deal, but also more than enough seeds to save for years to come. The plant beside my onions to your left, I've forgotten what I planted. Don't you just hate that? I tend to do that a lot -- go nuts with the planting and forget where everything went.

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My tomato plants are just plain not producing. I'm hoping that once things cool down, they will take off in the fall! This past week, I planted several pea plants, Malabar spinach, Kentucky pole beans, some more Zucchini, and for companion plants (to share pots with other veggies) I planted carrots and radishes.

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Now if only it would RAIN!