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Growing green beans in your vegetable garden at home is a “snap!”
Not only are green bean plants easy to grow but this veggie even does well in limited space and is incredibly productive!
Types of Green Beans
Believe it or not there are over 130 varieties or cultivars of known edible pod beans and they’re not all green! While the name ‘green bean’ exclusively refers to all those that are green, the name ‘snap beans’ refers to edible pod beans of all colors including yellow, purple, red, streaked/mottled, and green. This legume is also known as ‘string beans’ because this veggie used to have a fibrous “string” running down its side. Although some heirloom varieties still have a ‘string,’ most varieties for sale today have been bred to eliminate this inconvenience, making them stringless. Not only do beans vary in color but there are also a wide range of shapes, from wide to thin and long to short. Popular varieties include purple string beans, romano beans, wax beans, blue lake, Kentucky wonder, and scarlet runner beans.
For the gardeners out there, green bean varieties are also differentiated or classified depending on how the plants grow into two major groups, “bush” (or “dwarf”) beans and “pole” (or “climbing”) beans. As a gardener, the first question you’ll need to ask yourself is whether you plan to plant bush green beans or pole green beans.
Bush Beans: These plants grow compactly, no more than 2 feet (61 cm) tall, without requiring extra support from a structure like a trellis. In general, they produce in a relatively short period of time (2 to 3 weeks). These are the type most often grown on commercial farms as they are easier to grow, harvest and require less maintenance.
Pole Beans: These beans grow as climbing vines, reaching as long as 10 to 15 feet (3 to 4.5 m), which means they must be supported by ‘poles’ or trellises (hence the name). These varieties typically produce more beans for longer (typically for a month or two) and are mostly disease-resistant.
Half-runner Beans: These beans combine characteristics from ‘bush’ and ‘pole’ beans, with vines that can grow 3 to 10 feet (0.9 to 3m) long.
Once you’ve decided on what type of bean is the best fit for your garden, it’s easy to get started and you should have beans ready to eat in 50 to 65 days!
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Getting Started
Beans are one of the easiest plants to grow from seed. Since they are such fast growers, bean seeds are commonly used in classrooms when teaching about plants and even in arts and crafts (think Jack and the Beanstalk.) You can sow seeds directly outdoors any time after the last frost date, as long as the soil has warmed to at least 48 °F (9 °C), but don’t plant too early as cold, moist, soil could cause the seeds to rot. In general, germination happens best when soil temperature is between 70 and 80 °F (21 to 27 °C) and plants grow best in warm weather when air temperature is between 65 and 85 °F (18 to 29 °C). In no time at all, your plants will start to sprout! If you want to get a head start, you can sprout your seeds indoors before transplanting outside, however be forewarned that the roots of these plants are fragile so they may not survive the move.
Where Best to Plant
Beans grow best in full-sun, with well-draining slightly acidic soil (pH 6.0-7.0) and don’t typically need fertilizer as they fix their own nitrogen in the soil (that is, they make nitrogen more available). Plant bush beans 1 inch deep (or 2.5 cm), 2 inches (5 cm) apart, in rows that are separated by 18 inches (46 cm). Pole beans should be planted 3 inches (8 cm) apart, with supports set up prior to planting. When plants reach the top of the support, the top of the vines can be pinched off so that the plant is forced to put energy into producing more pods instead. If you want to lengthen your growing season and harvest fresh beans all summer long, try succession planting (sowing seeds every 2 weeks or so to stagger harvest). Pole beans produce later than bush varieties, as they need time to allow their vines to grow before they can begin the task of growing beans, but will continue to produce throughout the season. Beans need to be watered regularly (approximately 1 inch or 2.5 cm of water per week). Mulching soil around bean plants will help retain moisture and keep roots cool.
Pests & Diseases
Pests affecting bean plants include aphids, bean leaf beetles, cucumber beetles, cutworms, Japanese beetles, Mexican Bean Beetles, slugs, snails, spider mites, and whiteflies. Diseases affecting bean plants include Alternaria leaf spot, Anthracnose, bacterial blight, bean rust, powdery mildew, mosaic viruses, and white mold. Diseases can be prevented by keeping vines dry (by using drip irrigation), providing plenty of good air circulation, and not overcrowding plants. Disease resistant varieties are also available. In addition, if you love beans and plan to add them to your garden every year, it’s best to rotate their location in your garden to avoid the build-up of pests and diseases. Great companion plants for beans include corn and winter squash (aka the Three Sisters) in addition to sunflowers, rosemary and strawberries to name a few.
Harvest Time
When harvesting beans, it is best to pick them when they are young and tender before the seeds inside have fully developed – once the seeds inside begin to bulge, they are past their peak and will taste tough. Another incentive to picking beans early is the more you pick, the more beans will grow (and who doesn’t want more beans?!) Also, it’s best to perform your bean harvest in the morning when their sugar level is highest for that sweet delicious taste we all love. Once beans are ready, snap or cut them off the plant, being careful not to tear the plant in the process. After that, all that’s left to do is to enjoy the “fruits” (or should I say “veggies”) of your labor!
Grow Your Own Garden
If you’re looking for help on how to grow other foods check out these posts!
