This is true for pole beans, picking them gets them to grow more pods. I have the same question (sorry, no answer) so I hope someone knows. I want to put pole beans around the corn in a 3 sister garden, but I also know that pole beans produce more if you keep them picked. In a 3 sister's garden though, it is best to use them as dried beans, so I have the same question. Will my productivity be lower if I do not pick and let them be dried beans? In the past, the only pole beans I grew were for fresh pods, not dried beans. I have only grown dried beans as bush beans so far.