Link below is to a previous discussion on bush vs. pole beans and cover your question. You can also find much more info over on the Beans & Legumes forum here.

As for support - a lot and as tall as you can comfortably pick. If you Google 'pole bean supports' you get all these pics of various types I use 8 foot tall bean towers and the plants are easily 10-12 feet tall and drapeing back down. And still growing.

Main thing it make sure it is sturdy as it turns into a wall of beans and a good wind can lay it all over.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Bush vs. pole bean production

no support needed for bush beans. Production depends on conditions. You can get a lot of plants in a patch with bush beans. Pole beans under many conditions bear longer and more beans per plant. Here for example I can get more bush beans per acre tha pole beans, simply because I can get the crop in and out before hot weather. Pole beans shut down when temps reach triple digits.

I like pole beans much better than bush. I would rather not have to bend over all the time to pick plus pole beans produce over a longer period of than. That said, grow both types if you have the garden space. That is what I do, grow both.

I have to agree with newyorkrita; I'd rather stand and pick than bend down; getting creaky.

Weeding is much easier, too.

I usually use 3 8ft poles (about 1"x1"). Sometimes I cut down saplings and use those (i.e., but only if they were due to be cut down anyway). Either way, I pound a 2-3ft long piece of junk wood into the ground with a sledge at the base of each pole at an angle, set up the long poles, and then drive a screw between them. In this way, the support poles don't need to be strong because you aren't wacking them with a hammer.

I also find pole beans to be more tender than bush, and less hairy; might be the variety I tend to choose, though. My family gets so sick of beans by the time the pole beans are done that I don't care that they don't produce as long. Also, japanese beetles tend to attack the tops of the pole beans; I'd guess they do less overall damage than compared to when I grew bush beans.

I cannot comment on production but each has its advantages and disadvantages. Advantage of pole beans is that require less space. Disadvantage is the expense and work to put up trellis. And, you have to train them and watch for heavy winds.

When do pole beans start to vine and climb? Planted Kentucky Wonder 5/20, plants are 6-8" tall now but no sign of vining (or flowers, no flower buds on bush beans either). All my 50-ish DTM crops seem to be growing but not fruiting, my 70-80 DTM tomatoes are blossoming!

We've never grown pole beans before this year. We planted a few seeds of Scarlet Runners along the south end of the garden, up against the fence. I'm not sure which I'm more curious about - the beans or the flowers!
Edie

I cannot grow yellow beans.This year I planted them in a different spot but they still are very slow growing. Would it help if I transplanted them. They are about 5 in. High.

>Main thing it make sure it is sturdy as it turns into a wall of beans and a good wind can lay it all over.

Yes. Beans have tiny root systems, nothing to hold them in the ground!

I like pole beans. I grow some on colored string wrapped around my porch posts, some on a trellis screwed to a south wall, some on a tripod of 1x2s with each stick stuck inside a concrete cinder block, some on a tepee/wall structure tied to a hedge....

I am describing all these so the OP or other readers can get ideas of how to make bean supports tip-proof :).

Scarlet runner beans are very purty, but some varieties are sterile and don't make beans! I was disappointed to get a packet like that last year. I normally save my own seed but I had not saved enough.

I have some bush beans. The first batch is getting loaded,
The second batch ,which also includes some yellow and purple, are couple of weeks behind and doing well. We have perfect weather here at the PNW for beans and peas. Our highs rarely climb over 85F. Anyway, I have come to like bush types. They are not labor intensive and require no investment in trellis.