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How to Grow Beans
Beans are not only iconic but also easy to grow, making them a must-have summer vegetable for every gardener. By following a few simple steps, you will learn how to grow beans and you can ensure a productive harvest of beans in your garden.
How to Grow Beans
You will learn about the ease and benefits of growing beans in your summer garden. This post will provide valuable information on the simple steps to follow to ensure a productive harvest of beans.
Whether you’re a beginner or experienced gardener, this post will guide you towards a successful bean-growing experience.
History
To understand how to grow beans, you first need to understand their history and how they evolved. The common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) was originally a vine native to Central and South America and has been cultivated for thousands of years. The Indigenous people of these areas have introduced many varieties of the plant, leading to the thousands of varieties that we have today.
Vining beans were grown alongside corn and pumpkins, making up the 3 sisters. The corn provides a sturdy structure for the beans to climb, the pumpkins provide a living groundcover, which retains moisture, and the beans fix nitrogen in the soil for all three of them.
Sowing Seeds
The best method of sowing your bean seeds is to direct-sow. I’ve noticed that the growth of transplanted beans is often stunted. You can pre-soak your bean seeds overnight if you want to guarantee that the water penetrates the thick seed coating, but it is definitely not necessary.
I never pre-soak any of my seeds.
Sow 1 inch deep, 4 inches apart, and about 2 weeks before your last frost date (individual varieties may vary). Keep the area moist until the seeds have germinated.
If you are short on time and you do want to start your beans indoors, I would do it 3 – 4 weeks before your last frost date. Some growers like to successively sow bush beans, as they believe the yields decline after the first harvest, but this is not necessary.
Let me know in the comments if you soak your bean seeds or if you start them indoors. If so, does it work out better for you?
Light Requirements
Full sun (6+ hours of direct sunlight) is best for beans, but you can scrape the surface with less light. Just remember that a fruiting plant will almost always benefit from more sunlight.
Fertilizer
Beans are legumes, meaning they fix atmospheric nitrogen in the soil through nodules on their roots. This means that you basically don’t have to fertilize beans.
However, they will only fix nitrogen if the rhizobia bacteria is present in your soil.
If you have never grown legumes in your garden before, I recommend using a nitrogen-fixing microbial inoculant. This won’t necessarily improve the production of your beans, but it will make the nitrogen bioavailable for the next plants that will grow in the soil.
This is common among most legumes (peas, fava beans, peanuts, etc.). That being said, beans would still benefit from some well-rotted manure or compost added to the top of your soil before planting.
Watering
Keep your beans evenly moist and don’t let them dry out. They need lots of water to develop those juicy pods!
To learn more, check out our full guide on garden watering tips and techniques.
Companion Planting
Like I said before, corn and squash are great companions for beans. Other plants like lettuce and parsley are great planted with beans because of their nitrogen-fixing properties.
Although the nitrogen won’t be available while the plants are growing; if you cut the plants at the base at the end of the season, leaving the roots in-ground, there will be bioavailable nitrogen for the lettuce and other leafy greens next season.
Varieties
If you want to purchase any of the mentioned varieties, simply click on its name!
Beans are split into 3 main groups: Bush (or dwarf) beans, climbing beans, and runner beans. Bush beans are low-growing plants, reaching a height of no more than 3 feet. Climbing beans are vining plants that can reach a height of 20 or more feet and require a trellis to support their heavy vines.
Runner beans are a different species (Phaseolus coccineus) altogether, but are often included in this classification, as they are very similar to climbing beans in their growth pattern.
These 3 groups are split into 2 more groups: Green beans and dry beans. Green beans are grown for their fresh, immature, green pods, while dry beans are grown for their mature, dry seeds, which lie inside the pods. Some popular varieties include: Provider (bush, green), lazy housewife (climbing, green), and borlotto (climbing, dry).
If you want to buy any of the mentioned bean seeds for your garden, check out the following link: Buy bean seeds from SeedsNow!
Trellising
For climbing and runner beans, you have to provide a trellis for the heavy vines. You can make a simple tipi with bamboo stakes tied together at the top, or you can make a proper trellis using chicken wire or mesh, attached to wood stakes on either end. This can be made into an A-frame, allowing the harvestable beans to dangle away from the plant.
Bush beans don’t require support, but I have grown them with and without one. I noticed that a short trellis supports the weight of the fruit, allowing them to stay above the ground. Without a support, the beans may touch the ground and rot quicker than normal.
But they are called “bush” for a reason.
Harvesting
Bush beans are ready to harvest about 50 days after sowing, climbing beans around 70, and runner beans 100+ days.
Green beans should be harvested when the pods are plump but not too developed; the seeds inside should still be green.
Dry beans should be harvested when the pods are noticeably brown and the seeds inside are mature and dry.
Every bean plant will keep producing after the first harvest, allowing you to harvest beans throughout the season. The more you harvest, the more your plants will produce, so keep harvesting!
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to grow a bean?
Most bush bean varieties mature in 50 to 60 days, while most pole bean varieties mature in 60 to 70 days. With all varieties, you will be harvesting beans within the first 2 and a half months.
What is the best month to plant beans?
The best month to plant beans is anywhere from March to May. This gives the beans enough time to establish themselves before the hotter temperatures set in.
Do beans need a trellis to grow?
Bush beans do not need a trellis to grow, as they only reach 2 feet at maturity. Pole beans, however, do require a trellis to grow, as they can grow to over 15 feet tall at maturity.
Products:
For organic, non-GMO garden seeds, check out SeedsNow.
For gardening equipment, check out Bootstrap Farmer.
For organic all-purpose fertilizers, check out Arber.
Conclusion
Growing beans in your garden is a rewarding experience that can yield delicious and nutritious results. By following the step-by-step guide provided in this post, you will have the knowledge and confidence to cultivate a successful bean garden.
From selecting the right bean varieties to providing the optimal growing conditions, you can enjoy a bountiful harvest of fresh, homegrown beans. With a little care and patience, you’ll be able to savor the taste and satisfaction of growing your own food. Happy bean growing!
If you want to learn more about gardening, foraging, nature, and sustainability, check out The Real Gardener on Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest.
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