Overview:
Description:
Latin Name:
Common Name: Green Bean, Snap Bean, String Bean
Hardiness Zone:
Exposure:
Full sun
Size:
Days to Harvest:
Harvesting:
Pests and Problems:
Slugs will eat any part that comes near the ground.
Janoanese Beetles and aphids may also attack.
Fungal diseases, like Alternaria or Angular leaf spot can be a problem in damp conditions. Other diseases, like Anthracnose, bacterial blight and mosaic virus are less common, but can occur.
Suggested Varieties:
- ‘Kentucky Wonder’ – It’s an old, string pole variety that still tastes great.
- ‘Bountiful’ – An early producing, stringless heirloom bush bean.
- ‘Golden Wax Bean’ – Easy producing, soft textured yellow, bush bean.
- ‘Royal Burgundy’ – Purple pods that turn green when cooked. Early producing bush bean. Not popular with the bean beetle.
- ‘Lazy Housewife’ – German heirloom pole bean, so named because it doesn’t require stringing.
- ‘Triomphe de Farcy’ – A readily available French haricot vert heirloom bush bean.
- ‘Romano’ – Classic broad, Italian style green bean with meaty flavor. Bush or pole.
Growing Tips – How to Grow a Bean Plant:
Planing Bean Plants: Beans are generally direct seeded in the garden, although you can transplant small bean plants. The most important point about growing green beans is not to plant them too early. They will rot in cool, damp soil. To get an earlier start, you can put down black plastic, to warm the soil.
Soil for Bean Plants: Beans like a moderately rich soil with a slightly acidic pH of about 6.0 to 6.2. They prefer a loose, moist soil. Plant after all danger of frost is past.
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.
Staking Bean Plants: 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 6-8 seeds per teepee or every 6 inches apart.
Maintenance: Pole beans may need some initial help in climbing. You can coax the vines around your trellis, until they are able to twine themselves.
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. Bush bean plants can be succession planted every 2 weeks.