Growing Green BeansA Healthy Source of Protein, Fiber and VitaminsGrowing green beans is a good way to provide a healthy source of protein, vitamins and fiber for your family. Plus, pole beans are really fun for gnomes to climb up. Every bean will grow and mature until dry, if you let it. But most gardeners grow green beans to be eaten fresh. Nevertheless, if you get behind in picking, you can let them dry and use them that way. There are two types of bean plants, bush and pole. Bush BeansSome beans are “bush beans,” and they do not need to grow up a support or trellis. They grow out like a bush, rather than up like a vine. These are popular with home gardeners, as well as farmers because they grow unsupported, usually ripen earlier and the beans come on all at once.Their growth habits are much like a “determinate tomato”. As the bean plant develops, it stops growing up at 12 to 18 inches and bushes out. Bush beans are great if you have plenty of space to grow on the flat. Pole BeansOther beans are “pole beans” and require strings, lattices, trellises or other support systems to climb on for sunlight. They grow more like an “indeterminate” variety. They usually take a little longer to develop a crop, but once the beans form they continually yield all season as long as you keep the plants picked.The pole bean plants keep growing and growing until you snip off the vine when it reaches the top of your trellis. The height of your trellis is up to you, but ought to be at least 6 feet tall. Pole beans are perfect for people growing green beans in small spaces in terms of flat surface area, but can train the plants up a trellis or “pole.” They have tendrils and will naturally “reach out” to grasp the support system provided for them. Because their foliage is exposed to the air, they receive more sunlight and dry faster after a rain, helping them grow fast and succumb less to bacterial and fungal diseases. While bush beans tend to have shorter seasons, pole beans keep producing if steadily harvested. Their upright growth habit also makes them easier to harvest. This is a matter of personal choice, but I think growing green beans of the pole varieties are tastier. Dry Beans vs. Green BeansAll beans can be eaten “green.” Some have higher sugar content at a young age than others, and are tastier as green beans. Dry beans are beans that are allowed to mature fully until the seeds inside the pod ripen and dry.Green beans can be picked at any point during the life of the plant. Dry beans should be harvested when the lower leaves begin falling off of the plant. Soybeans and lima beans should be pulled out of the ground entirely and hung to dry upside-down in a paper or cloth sack in a cool, dry place, as the pods from these beans tend to split and the beans fall out when they are ripe. All beans are warm season crops that grow best when temperatures are at least 65 to 75 degrees F. Don’t miss out on these tasty vegetables. Let me share some tips on how to grow beans. How to Grow Green Beans
You cannot plant until after last frost, as the bean seedlings will freeze. But more than that, all bean types produce best in warm weather, and do not sprout until air temperatures are reliably in the 70s and soil temperatures are in the 60s. They need full sun and well-drained soil. Bean seed is large and should be planted in a well prepared seed bed at least ¾” deep, and up to 2” deep. The best depth depends on your soil. Light sandy soil dries out, so the seed needs to be deep enough to get consistent moisture while germinating. In a heavier moister soil, plant the seed shallower. Bean seeds should be planted 2 to 4 inches apart in the row. Bush bean rows should be at least a foot apart in raised beds or thee feet apart in walk between rows. Pole beans will be planted in rows around the support system you provide them. Great Sources Of Seed:Gurney's Seed and Nursery
What To Feed Growing Green BeansBeans "fix" or create their own nitrogen, and as such are not heavy feeders of nitrogen. If you inoculate the seed with bean/pea inoculant (a black powder sold online of at the garden center) they will fix enough nitrogen for your next crop, as well.They do still need Phosphorous and Potassium, so you may want to apply a fertilizer with a 0-5-5 (no nitrogen) content once the plants start flowering. Keep the beans well watered. It they dry out, the beans will become tough dry. Also, keep them picked or they will stop producing. That’s how you grow beans. Growing green beans makes summer dinners tasty and fresh. Happy gardening, Geefrank
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