How to Grow Beans
Instructions for Growing Beans
in Your Vegetable Garden
| Nutrition | Watering Instructions | Harvesting |
| Climate | Fertilizing Instructions | Storage |
| Soil | Challenges | Tips |
| Planting |
Beans (and their plants) come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. The pod (or its contents) is what's commonly eaten as a garden vegetable. However, the leaflets (which are nutritious when used in salads), and the flowers are also edible. The pods and seeds come in a wide selection of colors, and can be “stringed” or “stringless.”
The first choice in selecting the bean plants for your garden, will be whether you want a climbing variety or a dwarf variety. Climbing beans need structure (like a tall trellis, fence, stake, or even cornstalks!) and produce high yields of pods. Dwarf varieties use less space, don't require as much support, but neither do they produce as much as the climbing varieties.
Some varieties are suitable for container gardening (check with your nursery).
Gardening Tip for Growing Beans - Beans grow well when planted next to certain vegetable and herb crops, and their growth tends to be stunted when planted next to others. Do not plant with onions. For more information, read about companion planting.
How to Grow Beans - Nutrition Information
Green Beans offer:
Dietary Fiber, Potassium, Chromium, Iron, Manganese
Shell Beans offer:
Magnesium, Potassium, Copper, Iron, Chromium, Manganese, Calcium, Zinc
How to Grow Beans - Climate & Growing Conditions
Beans are a warm season vegetable, and do not tolerate frost. In warmer subtropical climates, they can be grown year round.
Gardening Tip for Growing Beans - Beans will grow best in a sunny spot in your garden.
How to Grow Beans - Preparing the Garden Soil
When growing beans, the garden soil should be well drained and fertilized. Dig in plenty of organic matter (compost and well-rotted manure). The garden soil pH should be between 6.0 and 7.5 (Information on how to test your garden plot's soil pH level.)
If soil has a low pH add 8 oz lime per square yard a month before sowing.
Mulch with compost to protect shallow root system, and promote water retention.
Hill rows with soil during early growth to protect against wind. When weeding take care not to disturb the soil or roots just beneath the surface.
How to Grow Beans - Planting
Plant after there is no more danger of frost for the season, and when the soil is warm. (Beans will not grow well until the soil is warm.)
Beans are best sown directly into the garden soil. Plant climbing beans 6” apart in rows 3 feet apart. Plant dwarf varieties in rows 24” apart with seeds at 2 in spacings.
Dwarf beans mature more quickly than climbing varieties. If planting dwarf beans, you may want to stagger plant your crop over several weeks to extend your harvest period.
How to Grow Beans - Watering
If you have sandy soil, keep a careful eye on the soil. It needs to stay moist. Beans have very shallow root systems and can easily dry out.
How to Grow Beans - Fertilizing
Apply liquid fertilizer when flowering commences.
How to Grow Beans - Gardening Challenges
Beans can experience problems from aphids, red spider mites, and bean flies. Also plant diseases such as blight mosaic and anthracnose way present themselves. Control pests and diseases with sprays (preferably organic), especially on the underside of leaves.
Important: Don’t leave dead plant material lying around your garden. That encourages plant diseases and insects.
Gardening Tip for Growing Beans - Practice good vegetable gardening by rotating your crops within your garden space with each new season. This will prevent many plant diseases.
How to Grow Beans - Harvesting
Dwarf beans will mature in about 10 weeks, and climbing beans in 10-12 weeks.
Pick your beans frequently, to keep the plant producing at it's peak. Harvest gently, so not to damage the vines. Avoid harvesting in either very hot or very cold spells.
Note: Lima beans take about 4 months of warm temperature weather to mature.
How to Freeze Vegetables - Beans
How to Dehydrate Vegetables - Beans
Gardening Tips From Our Readers
Have a great idea to share about growing beans?
Submit your own tips to us at: gardeningtips@howtogardenadvice.com
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Note: the advice and information contained herein is based upon our experience and study. As with any advice, please apply at your own discretion.