Mystery beans

I have a few new varieties of beans I'm growing for the first time this year. The problem is, I don't know if they are bush or climbers. What's a good way to plant them, to accommodate either growth pattern? Little clusters of three so I can set up a tripod if they start climbing? Is there a way to tell by looking at the dry seed if they will climb or bush?

These ones I picked up at Seedy Saturday seed exchange. They are labeled 'mystery beans'.



To me they look like goat eye beans - can't remember what language the name is, but roughly translate to goat pupal or something like that.

These ones are labeled 'igloo bean', but I've noticed at the seed exchange, what's on the label isn't always what's in the packet.



Some of the others are seed I harvested from the bulk bin at the grocery store. I'm guessing these are likely bush beans as that's what is harvested by machine.

Other beans are from The Seed Zoo. Richters doesn't always know the growth habit of these rare seeds.

How do you plant your 'mystery beans'?

Pole beans grow fine sprawling on the ground like a squash or melon.

I plant mystery beans in a row. If some of them send out tendrils, I usually allow it. Since I don't want to plant pole beans next year, I typically harvest the pole beans for food, and the bush beans for seed.

Based on the shape and color of the "igloo bean" seed, I suspect that it might be a snap bean. Perhaps test them just after flowering to see if the pods are non-fibrous.

In a row it is, thanks Joseph.