Tips for growing green beans
Growing
Green Beans
Whether you
call them snap beans, string beans or green beans, they are the second
most popular home garden vegetable after tomatoes. It's easy to see why.
The beans are relatively easy care and give off a good yield.
When to Plant Green Beans
Green bean seeds like
warm soil and a full sun location. Don't plant any seeds until all danger
of frost has passed and the soil temperature remains above 65 degrees.
Some garden experts say you'll get the best results and overall healthier
plants if you wait until the soil is at least 70°F.
Some gardeners start bean seeds indoors. You can do this if you can provide
the seeds the necessary warmth and light. Using peat pots you can start
green bean seeds about 4-6 weeks before the last threat of frost for your
area. Following the above rule for soil temperature the seedlings can
be planted outdoors when they reach a height of 4 inches.
The Best Soil for Green Beans
Green beans also like well-drained and fertile soil and soil that has
not recently been planted with beans, potatoes, tomatoes, lettuce or cabbage.
Some garden experts suggest that you
move your green bean plantings to a different spot each year. If you can't
move them yearly, move them at least every three years. This helps prevent
their roots from picking up any diseases from the dirt which could lead
to root rot.
Sowing
Green Bean Seeds
Today it's
easy to find fungicide treated seeds. The fungicide helps to prevent certain
plant diseases from occurring. You can also choose beans varieties that
are resistant to disease such as rust, powdery mildew, bean mosaic and
curly top. This is not a guarantee you won't develop problems in the garden,
but it's an extra measure of help against them.
The size and configuration of your garden will be one of the determining
factors of the type of beans you grow. There are two types, pole
beans and bush beans.
Planting Bush Bean Seeds
Place green bean seeds to
a 1 inch depth. Cover the seed with dirt to fill the furrow . Plant the
seeds 1-2 inches apart in rows that are 2 to 2 1/2 feet apart. Water well.
When the bean plants reach 3 inches height, thin them to 3 to 4 inches
apart.
Planting Pole Green Beans
When planting pole beans you
will want to plant them on hills or mounds. These mounds should be 3 feet
apart with rows 3-4 feet wide.
Place a stake in the center
of the mound and place 3 or 4 bean seeds around the pole one inch deep
in the soil. Water well and keep the seeds moist. You should see the seeds
start to sprout within 7 days.
Fertilizing
Green Beans
You can fertilize the area before you plant the green bean seeds with
a 10-20-10 following manufacturer instructions, or you can add fertilizer
directly to the furrows as you dig them.
You'll need to continue to fertilize the beans during their growing season. Follow the manufacturers instructions. Scatter 1/2 cup of fertilizer over each 10 foot row of beans. Water the fertilizer well into the soil.
Watering Green Beans
Water the plants once a week during spells of dry weather. Water them directly at their roots, try to keep the plant as dry as possible. Do not let the soil dry out. Keep it uniformly moist at all times. This can help prevent blossom drop.
Preventing
Blossom Drop
Garden experts are at odds over exactly what causes blossoms to drop.
Some believe it's due to fluctuations in moisture. Some think it's caused
by fluctuations between day and night temperatures. Some think it's a
combination of both. As an extra precaution, along with keeping the plants
evenly watered and only watering at the roots, you can consider adding
mulch to help keep soil temperature evenly regulated.
Harvesting Green Beans
Green beans should be harvested before you notice any bulge in the pod.
The pods should be crisp and firm and should easily "snap" when
broken in two (that's how green beans have also become known as snap beans).
Handle the plant itself with
care when harvesting the beans Don't tug or yank on the plant. Treat the
plants gently and they'll continue to produce. Use one hand to hold the
stem and one hand to pluck the bean. Harvest the beans when the plant
is dry.
Four Seasons Nursery
Burgess Seed & Plant
Co.
Successful
Garden Planning
The secret to a productive
garden and a happy gardener is planning. You don't want every green bean
in your garden to become ready to pick at the same time. No matter what
type of vegetable you're planting in your home garden you want to stagger
the plantings so you will have a continuous supply all season.
Depending on the variety of seed you choose the growing season is between
45 and 75 days.
In order to have a continuous supply of green beans throughout their growing
season stagger the plantings. Plant seeds every three weeks until mid-season,
but not past August.
In
order to help ensure your success if the soil is very dry in July-August
plant the seeds at a depth of 1 1/2 inches to help them maintain adequate
moisture.
Green
Bean Garden Tips
As green beans can suffer from fungus brought on by too much moisture
(on the plant itself), make sure you practice wide row spacing to keep
the moisture levels on the plants down.
The secret to
increase your green bean production is to keep picking them. The more
you pick, the more will grow.
Green Bean Garden Pests
The Mexican bean beetle is
an enemy of your green bean garden as are aphids and leafhoppers. Manually
remove any beetles you find and check the undersides of the leaves. If
you see eggs remove the leaf.
Spider mites can also be a problem in some gardens. You
can consider treating with rotenone dust or a non-toxic insecticidal soap.
It's always best to check with
your local agriculture service agent for advice if you have any questions
related to particular garden pests or pest control for your area.
Cooking tips and techniques
These are a few cooking tips that we've discovered as we've prepared our different green bean recipes. Some you may know, and a few you may not know. We hope they're helpful to you. Garlic There is nothing as bitter as burned garlic. It can literally ruin a dish. When a recipe calls for cooking garlic in olive oil do so over a very low heat and carefully watch the dish.
How to freeze fresh green beans
If you've been spoiled like me eating fresh green beans and dread the end of the season and going back to factory frozen or canned green beans, you should know that freezing green beans is the easiest way to have them year round. Many people prefer to freeze green beans as opposed to canning them. Freezing is much less time consuming and requires fewer tools. Canning requires jars, lids, and a pressure cooker.
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