Planting
Beans grow best in well-draining soil with normal fertility and an acidic to neutral pH (6.0–7.0). They don’t typically need supplemental fertilizer because they fix their own nitrogen in the soil. However, particularly poor soil should still be amended with aged manure or compost in the fall prior to planting (or about a week before planting in the spring).
Beans don’t like having their roots disturbed, so set up any supports for pole beans prior to planting.
When to Plant Beans
- Beans grow best when direct-seeded outdoors. Sow any time after the last spring frost date, when the soil has warmed to at least 55°F (12°C). Don’t plant too early, as cold, moist soil will delay germination and could cause the seeds to rot.
- Tip: To get a head start on planting, place black plastic or landscaping fabric over your garden beds to warm the soil prior to sowing seeds.
- Do not start green bean seeds indoors. Due to their fragile roots, they may not survive transplanting. Plus, they’re such fast growers that there’s no real advantage to starting them early indoors.
How to Plant Beans
- Sow bush beans 1 inch deep and 2 inches apart in rows 18 inches apart.
- Sow pole beans 1 inch deep, placing them around supports.
- Tip: Plant pole and bush beans a little deeper in sandy soils, but not too deep. Seedlings cannot push through soil that is too deep, heavy, dense, packed, and/or mulched; they will break their “necks” in trying to emerge.
- For pole beans, set up trellises, stakes, or other supports prior to planting so that the plants’ fragile roots are not disturbed.
- One option is to create a teepee: Tie three or four (or more) 7-foot-long bamboo poles or long, straight branches together at the top and splay the legs in a circle. Then, plant three or four seeds around each pole. As vines appear, train them to wind up the poles. For more stability, wrap string/wire around the poles about halfway up, encircling the tepee; this gives the vines something to grab.
- Another easy support for them is a “cattle panel”—a portable section of wire fence—16 feet long and 5 feet tall. The beans will climb with ease, and you won’t have to get into contorted positions to pick them.
- For a continued harvest that lasts all summer, sow seeds every 2 weeks. If you’re going to be away and unable to harvest, skip a planting. Beans do not wait for anyone!
- Practice crop rotation (planting crops in different areas each year) to avoid the buildup of pests and diseases in one spot.
How to Grow Beans From Planting to Harvest
Growing
- Mulch soil around bean plants to retain moisture; make sure that it is well-draining. Beans have shallow roots, so mulch keeps them cool.
- Water regularly, about 2 inches per square foot per week. If you do not keep beans well watered, they will stop flowering. Water on sunny days so that foliage will not remain soaked, which could encourage disease.
- If necessary, begin fertilizing after heavy bloom and the set of pods. Avoid using high-nitrogen fertilizer, or you will get lush foliage and few beans. A side dressing of compost or aged manure halfway through the growing season is a good alternative to liquid fertilizer.
- Weed diligently but carefully to avoid disturbing the beans’ roots.
- Pinch off the tops of pole bean vines when they reach the top of the support. This will force them to put energy into producing more pods instead.
- In high heat, use row covers over young plants; hot weather can cause blossoms to drop from plants, reducing the harvest.
Growing Green Beans in Containers
You can also grow green beans in containers! An 8-inch-deep, 8-inch-wide container will hold one bush plant, while a 5-gallon pot will hold up to three bush or pole plants. For pole beans, plan to provide support in or immediately outside of the container. Fill the container with potting mix and rich compost.
Beans grow best when direct-seeded (not transplanted) into the soil, whether it’s in a container or the ground. After all danger of frost has passed, sow into warm (55°F or higher), moist soil. Put two beans into each hole between 1 and 1-1/2 inches deep. Eliminate the weaker one after germination by cutting the stem. (Do not allow two plants to coexist in one hole; neither will thrive.)
To care for your container of green beans, provide 6 to 8 hours of sun per day. Whenever the soil is dry, water to a depth of 1 to 2 inches. Fertilize with a low-nitrogen formula (5-10-10) diluted to half-strength to avoid excess foliage growth. Apply at planting time and when plants begin to flower.
Types
When it comes to green beans, the options are endless. Here are several types and varieties to consider:
- Chinese (aka Asian) long beans (aka yardlong or asparagus beans): slender, 1- to 2-foot pods. Try ‘Orient Wonder’, ‘Red Noodle’, or ‘Yardlong’. All pole.
- French green beans (aka filet or haricots verts): thin, tender, 3- to 5-inch pods. Try ‘Calima’, ‘Masai’, or ‘Maxibel’; in a container, plant ‘Mascotte’. All bush.
- Italian/Romano: wide, flat 6- to 8-inch pods even in the hottest summers. Try ‘Early Bush Italian’, extra-large-pod ‘Jumbo’, or ‘Roma II’. All bush.
- Purple beans: 5- to 6-inch pods are deep purple when raw and turn green when cooked. Try ‘Amethyst’, ‘Royal Burgundy’, or ‘Velour’. All bush.
- Snap beans (aka string or stringless): slender, 5- to 7-inch pods. Try ‘Blue Lake 274’ (bush), heirloom ‘Kentucky Wonder’ (bush or pole), or ‘Provider’ (bush).
- Yellow wax beans: 5- to 7-inch pods have a milder flavor than green varieties. Try stringless ‘Cherokee’ (bush), classic ‘Golden Wax’ (bush), or ‘Monte Gusto’ (pole).
If you are planting your green beans in containers, we suggest bush or pole beans. Many compact varieties are available, and many standard beans can be grown in containers as well. Here are some of our favorite bean varieties for containers.
- Phaseolus lunatus ‘White Dixie Butterpea’: 16 to 24 inches tall; three to four small lima beans per pod; excellent for hot weather climates.
- P. vulgaris ‘Derby’: tender, round, 7-inch-long pods form on 18-inch plants; resistant to bean common mosaic virus.
- P. vulgaris ‘Mascotte’: prolific producer; 5- to 6-inch fruit on 16- to 18-inch-tall plants; resistant to anthracnose, bean common mosaic virus, and halo blight; variety name is French for “mascot” and symbolizes good luck.
- P. vulgaris ‘Topcrop’: vigorous heirloom that sets heavy crop of pods 6 to 7 inches long on 15- to 18-inch-tall bushes; resistant to bean common mosaic virus.
- P. coccineus ‘Hestia’: dwarf runner bean; 12- to 14-inch-tall plants produce 8-inch-long pods; if desired, leave beans to dry on plant and harvest as dried beans for chili, soups, and stews.
- P. vulgaris ‘Rattlesnake’: heirloom; vines up to 10 feet long produce 8- to 10-inch-long green pods with purple speckles; drought-resistant; heat-tolerant.
Read more about some of our favorite varieties of green beans.
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Comments
Pole beans may not flower if the temperature is too cool, too hot, or there is lots of wind. They also need at least 6 hours of sunlight. If you plant transplants, they will have a harder time establishing than those that were direct sown in the garden. It's a puzzle why the yellow wax beans are doing much better, as they require about the same things. Days to maturity for the yellow wax might be slightly earlier, but they are basically equivalent. Fairbanks is USDA Hardiness Zone 1. Could it be that your strain of Kentucky bean prefers a warmer climate than your yellow wax bean? Check the overall health of the pole bean -- any signs of damage or of pests or disease? That can slow down a plant as well.
Hi, Juergen! You can check your planting dates here; just put in your zip code: http://www.almanac.com/gardening/planting-dates/zipcode/89429
At this time, we realized that we might have misunderstood your question: that it's not about time to plant but about using freshly harvested seeds. So here's our thoughts on the latter:
You should not plant beans again into the same soil, btw (bet you knew that); you should rotate crops in and out. And, you know if these are hybrid plant seeds, any resulting plant growth will vary considerably from the parent plant ... right? Only heirlooms reproduce truly.
All things then, being equal, test your recently harvested seed, by rolling a few seeds into a damp paper towel. Put it into a glass or plastic container with a tight-fitting lid (so the towel will not dry out). Check it in 8 to 10 days to see what, if anything, is sprouting.
Hope this helps!
If the plants had just been planted within a week or so, it might be OK. Otherwise, if they are established and have had time to send out roots, it might be better to keep them where they are. Some gardeners have moved their young beans to find that they take a long while to recover. Are these pole beans? Gourds/squash plants can take up space along the ground while climbing beans are compatible if they are given vertical support. Bush beans, however, might be a problem, as there might be competition for light, etc. You might try redirecting the gourd vines to give the beans a little open area. Hope this helps!
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It takes about 60 days for wax beans to mature.