Beans

Selection and Planting

Bean Varieties

There is a lot to choose from when shopping for beans.  Are you looking for snap beans, shelling beans, dry beans?  What about fava beans or lima beans?  Even though the list goes on and on, we will help you with the basics.

When most think of garden beans the first thing that pops into their head are the green snap kind (also called green beans and string beans) that is sold at the grocery fresh, canned, or frozen.  They are a common part of meals around the country and are generally the kind gardeners pick when they grow beans.  Within snap beans you have two varieties to choose from: pole and bush.

Pole Snap Beans

The majority of bean growers in Rose Tree Garden opt for pole beans because of their tendency to continuously produce throughout the season.  They are names for their vining growth behavior that requires tall (up to 7 feet) trellises for them to climb up.  While this can be a hassle for new gardeners, this method allows for more plants in a given area and makes picking easier since most of the fruit can be reached standing up.

Pole beans will continue to grow throughout the warm summer months and should supply a steady number of beans for picking.  Because beans are constantly growing, you will have to make regular visits to your plot to collect new ones.  Beans that are left on the vine for too long will become tough and fibrous.

Bush Snap Beans

Bush beans are unlike pole beans in that their growth is generally self-supporting and low to the ground (usually around 2 feet tall).  For the most part a bush bean will produce all its beans within a short period of time and usually doesn’t continue to produce.  This variety is extremely good for those who want to freeze or pressure can their harvests since you will get a substantial number of beans all at once.  The only downside to this variety is you may not receive any beans from a plant if the flowers form during a heat wave.  Very hot weather during flowering can prevent fruit set.

No matter what variety you choose, beans can be an enjoyable and rewarding crop to grow.

Planting

Beans in Rose Tree Garden are grown from direct sowing seed which usually can be purchased from reputable garden centers.  Do not try transplanting bean plants as this can be difficult and unnecessary.

Beans should be sown in Rose Tree Garden around mid to late May.  Wait until the nightly temperature soil temperatures are reliably above 50 degrees F.  Beans that are planted in soil that is too cold and wet may rot before germination.  Do not rush this step as the plants will have plenty of time in the summer to grow and produce fruit.  If you are growing bush beans, consider sowing new seeds every 2 weeks apart to allow for a more steady supply of beans through the season.

Both pole and bush beans should be spaced approximately 4-6 inches apart in rows.  Bush bean rows should be spaced 2-3 feet apart while pole bean rows should be 2-6 feet (depending on the trellis system used).  Check your seed package for more specific spacing instructions.  Install a sturdy trellis before sowing your pole beans.  Doing this after the growth has started will be difficult and may risk damaging the plants.

Growing Beans

Pests

Bean plants grown at Rose Tree Garden will be attacked by the Mexican Bean Beetle.  You should have a plan in place on how to deal with the pest before you sow your seeds.  Regularly check your plants through the growing season for signs of damage as well as the pests themselves.  For methods on control, visit the page for Mexican Bean Beetle.

The list of insects that attack bean plants is shown below.

Bean Beetle Damage

Bean Beetle damage is easy to spot as the leaves of the plant will develop holes and a lacy appearance. 

Diseases

Beans can be susceptible to many diseases including powdery mildew, atnthracnose rust, and bacterial leaf spot just to name a few.  These diseases generally form on weak plants that were unable to get a good start from seed due to non-ideal conditions.  Regularly monitor the health of your plants and be quick to act when issues are discovered.  Below is a list of three steps you can take to improve your chance of growing healthy bean plants

  1. Plant spacing: Plants that are positioned too close together will result in higher levels of humidity near the leaves due to air not being able to move between the plants.  Making sure to give plants plenty of space will improve airflow and reduce the likelihood of disease
  2. Watering: Avoid directly spraying the leaves of the plant as this may increase the spread of disease.  If you must wet the leaves, do so in the morning so the leaves will dry quickly in the sunlight.
  3. Crop rotation: A number of plant diseases come from a slow buildup in the soil over a period of time.  Crop rotation (not growing plants in the same place every year) will keep the amount of soil disease low.  Every year, move your plants to a different part of your garden that hasn’t grown beans within the last 4 years.

Watering

Bean plants typically do not require large amounts of water.  Plants that are grown in water retentive soils may never need supplemental watering.  Even so, regularly check the moisture levels of the plant through the help of the Rose Tree Garden Weather Data.  Water your plants when the soil moisture decreases or the garden has not received at least 1″ of rainfall in the past week.

When watering, be sure to avoid overhead sprinkling as this increases the likelihood of soil-borne diseases spreading to the plant.  Water slowly at the base of the plant over a period of an hour to encourage deep root growth.  Long and infrequent watering encourages the plant to focus on root development which will enable it to survive through periods of drought. 

Weed Control

Keep area under bean plants clear of weeds to prevent competition.  For pole beans clearing weeds from under the plants is easily achieved with a hoe, but bush beans may require more hand weeding under the plants.  Reduce the weed pressure by following our Weed Prevention suggestions.

Harvesting

As discussed above, harvesting of beans depends on the variety you chose.  Pole beans should be regularly harvested throughout the year taking care to not allow the individual beans to grow too large and fibrous.  Bush beans do not continuously produce fruit and instead generate a flush of beans within a short period of time.  Regularly monitor your plant and harvest when the beans have reached their desired size.

If you are unable to harvest your beans in time, hope is not lost.  By leaving the pods on the vines until completely dried, you will be able to harvest dry beans for soups and stews.  A good way to test if your dry beans are ready for harvest is to shake a pod.  If you hear them rattle inside, they are ready for harvest.