Grow Beans
Description
Binomial Names: Cicer arietinum,
Phaseolus lunatus, Phaseolus vulgaris, Vigna unguiculata, Vicia faba
Varieties: Black, Black-eyed
Pea, Black
Turtle, Broad, Butter, Chickpea, Cowpea, Dark Red
Kidney, Fava, Garbanzo, Great Northern White,
Green, Kidney, Lima, Navy, Pinto, Red, Red
Kidney, String, White
Overview
Beans are often categorized by two sets of criteria: type of growth and stage at which they're usually picked and eaten. The plants can grow either as bush or pole type beans, and are also categorized as snap, shell and dry(Drying), depending on degree of development at time of harvest. All beans are easy to grow, and all need the same growing conditions - the prime one being plenty of warmth. Growing legumes is easy and fun! Buy heirloom vegetable seeds here and start today! See our complete legume growing guide here. Did you know that many legumes can be sprouted or grown as micro-greens for high-nutrient super-foods? Try our sprouts packs here with the 3-Day Independence Sprouts Pack. Getting cabin fever? Can't wait to get to that Spring gardening? Grow indoors right now with the Complete Micro Greens Growing Kit or the Micro Greens Seed Pack. Have a high nutrient vegetable garden on your windowsill this week! Want to grow culinary and medicinal herbs? Click those links to buy seeds and this link to learn to grow them! It’s that simple. Have you ever thought about growing your own tea garden? How about your own home-grown, tax-free tobacco? Heirloom Organics makes gardening easy.
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Growing Guide
GROWING NOTES
Beans
generally do not respond well to transplanting, and are usually direct sown
around or just after the last spring frost. The most important point about
growing beans is not to plant them too early. They will rot in cool, damp soil.
Even so, many beans require a long growing season of 80 days or more. To get an
earlier start, you can put down black plastic, to warm the soil. Most beans
should be sown with the eye of the been facing downward, 1-2" deep,
approximately 4-6" apart, with 24" or more between rows. The ideal
site will be sunny, well-drained, moderately fertile, and slightly acidic (pH
6.0-7.0). Additionally, bean plants should be well-ventilated to promote proper
development and deter mildew or mold that can trouble plants. Beans should not
be grown in the same spot more than once every four years, and can be mutually
beneficial with corn, strawberries and cucumber. Avoid planting beans near
onion or fennel. Plant bush beans in either rows or blocks, with 4-6 inches
between each seed. Plant the seeds 1-2 inches deep and be sure to water the
soil immediately and regularly, until it sprouts. Pole beans will need some
type of support to grow on. Be sure the trellis, teepee, fence or whatever is
in place before you seed. Plant seeds at a rate of about 3-6 seeds per teepee
or every 6 inches apart.
MAINTAINING BEANS
When
watering, try to avoid getting the leaves wet as this can promote fungus or
other damaging conditions that beans can be susceptible to. Most types of beans
are somewhat drought resistant, but check the surface of the soil frequently
and water when the top layer has become dried out. Once established, beans
generally will not require fertilizing and will generate their own nitrogen.
However, if the leaves of young plants are pale this is an indication of
nitrogen deficiency and starts can be fertilized with with fish emulsion or
other natural nitrogen rich fertilizer. Bush beans begin producing before pole
beans and often come in all at once. Staggered planting, every 2 weeks, will
keep your bush beans going longer. Pole beans need time to grow their vines,
before they start setting beans. The pole bean crop will continue to produce
for a month or two. Pole beans may need some initial help in climbing. Keep
the bean plants well watered. Mulch helps keep their shallow roots moist. Long
producing pole beans will benefit from a feeding or a side dressing of compost
or manure about half way through their growing season.
Harvesting Guide
HARVESTING
Harvesting beans is an ongoing process. You can start
to harvest anytime, but gardeners usually wait until the beans begin to firm up
and can be snapped. They are generally about as think as a pencil then. Don't
wait too long, because beans can become overgrown and tough almost overnight.
Harvest by gently pulling each bean from the vine or by snapping off the vine
end, if you are going to be using the beans right away.
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Seed Resources |
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Organic Bean Seed |
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Heirloom Bean Seed |
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Depending on whether the bean is a snap, shell, or dry variety will impact when and how the bean should be harvested.
Snap beans are harvested while the pod and enclosed seeds are still relatively immature. Compared to the other two types of beans, snap beans have the smallest window for an ideal crop. Beans that are harvested too early will not develop the proper flavor and texture. On the other hand, beans that are allowed to develop on the plant too long will be tough and somewhat unpalatable. Perhaps the best simple indicator for snap beans is the diameter of the pods. Generally, most varieties will yield the best snap beans with a diameter between ⅛-1/4". Maybe the best way to determine suitability for harvest is to sample a pod or two before making a complete harvest. It is worth noting that many varieties of snap beans that are allowed to develop completely also make good dry beans.
Shell beans are harvested at a later time than snap beans, once the pods have started to fill out and the enclosed seeds developing inside are apparent. Beans of such varieties are removed from pods and are often eaten fresh, but are sometimes dried.
Dry beans are not harvested until the pods and enclosed seeds have
reached complete maturity, and will often require threshing to remove
extraneous pod material. When growing dry beans, it is especially important
that growing plants have plenty of space and ventilation so that pods will dry
out. If experiencing a spell of rain late in the season once pods have matured,
plants can be removed from ground and hung upside down indoors to allow
dessication to continue.
SAVING SEEDS
It is a
suggested that you earmark a couple of plants at the beginning of the season
for seed saving. Don't pick ANY pods from them to eat - just pick the crisp
brown pods at the end of the season. Don't feed them, or water them unless it
is very dry - as this can encourage leafy growth rather than pod development.
There is no point in picking green pods as the seeds are not mature enough at
this stage. Did you know you can save the roots, overwinter in a frost-free
place, and replant next year? Runner beans are perennial, but are frost
sensitive, so die back in our climate. However, if the roots are dug up and
kept in suitable conditions, the plants often get away early and crop faster.
If you grow a lot of beans, this may not be a practical option, but you could
try it with one or two plants perhaps. Store the roots in a frost-free place,
buried in slightly moist sand or leafmould, or something similar.