Growing Green Beans

Varieties of Green Beans

When growing green beans,green beans plants you have two different types of plants. One is the bush variety that continuously produces green beans.

The other is the same species, but it grows in a vining manner and is the pole bean. Both of them are equally good to eat, the only difference is how the plant grows. That difference makes the bush bean easier for the novice gardener. Some species of pole beans are not available in the bush bean and the same is true in reverse. One of these is the purple pole bean.

Soil for growing green beans

Planting both pole and bush green beans require the soil to warm to at least 55 degrees before you begin to plant. The seeds are actually quite fragile and don't have a high rate of germination, compared to other garden vegetables, like corn. Some people think they need to heavily fertilize the ground for the green bean, but they'll be disappointed with the final results. You'll have lush foliage and very little harvest. Green beans are legumes and they produce their own nitrogen. If you use fertilizer for your beans, put it on in the fall and use a 10-20-10 on the ground.

Spacing for growing green beans

You need to space the bush beans and pole beans differently. Pole beans require hills and bush beans are in rows.

Plant seeds in rows 2 ½ feet apart. Since beans have a lower germination rate, you'll plant more at first and then thin them. Put a seed every 1 to 2 inches at a depth of 1 inch. Later as the plants grow, you'll thin them out to a plant every 3 or 4 inches. Check the package directions for the best spacing.

Pole Bean Spacing

Pole beans grow in hills. Make a hill every three feet in rows the same distance apart. Put 4 to 5 seeds in each hill and thin them if necessary to 3 or 4 per hill. Put a stake in the center of the hill. As the beans grow, you'll train the vines to go up the pole.

Growing green beans watering tips

Beans, like most plants, thrive where there's consistent soil moisture. Water the plants once a week, more if necessary. During the blooming season, this is particularly important. If you allow the soil to dry, you'll lose blooms and that means you'll lose bean production.

Green Beans Pests

The two most common pests of green beans are aphids and spider mites. Spider mites are tiny and you normally can't see them but simply witness the damage they create. They live on the underside of the leaves and cause yellow spots on the top of the leaves. You might see very tiny webs.

Aphids also live on the leaves. These tiny pests, 1/8 inch big, thrive on the juice of the plant and suck it from the leaf and leaf stem. You'll notice them as pink, red or brown spots on the underside of the leaf. Natural predators like ladybugs are great for eliminating both pests and far healthier alternatives to pesticides.

Harvesting green beans

The length of time from planting green bean seeds to harvest varies but you should have beans ready to pick in 50 to 60 days. You'll know when the beans are ready for harvest by the snap. They're large, plump and break in half with a snap sound when you bend them.

Some people harvest the beans daily. Others pull the plants when the majority of the beans are ready, sit down in their easy chair and turn the plants upside down to allow the beans to hang down for easy plucking.

Storaging green beans

You can store the beans in the refrigerator for a week, can them or blanch and freeze them for the winter.

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