Beans are a reliable supplier of many nutrients. We'll show you how to plant the he althy bean in your own garden.
In the garden you can grow French beans and runner beans. The bush bean is significantly smaller than the pole bean and is therefore particularly popular in small gardens. The pole bean is by far more demanding than the bush bean: it needs a lot of heat, a lot of space and good soil. On the other hand, runner beans are more productive than their smaller relatives.
When and how to plant beans?
Both varieties of Phaseolus vulgaris, i.e. both French beans and pole beans, should only be sown when the soil has warmed up enough and frost is no longer expected. Mid-May is usually a good time to sow. In order to be able to harvest over a longer period of time, bush bean seeds can be planted at several times, for example staggered by 14 days. Overall, sowing until mid-June is recommended. There is then a risk that the seedlings will dry up easily. Pole beans have a slightly longer harvest time, so staggering the kernels is not essential.
Beans like light, humus-rich soil and a sunny, sheltered location. Bush beans grow even better than pole beans in partial shade. Before sowing, the soil is loosened well and some compost is worked in shallowly. The bean seeds are sown 3 cm deep and 15 cm from the next seed in the row. There should be a space of 40 cm between the rows. Often not all beans germinate, so to be on the safe side, two beans can always be planted directly next to each other. If both germinate, the weaker seedling can be pulled out and moved if necessary or disposed of on the compost.
Good planting neighbors for beans are cucumbers, collards, lettuce and celery. Savory and nasturtium can protect plants. Another option is to grow it in a so-called milpa bed, along with corn and squash. Allium plants such as all types of onions and of course leeks as well as garlic and peas should not be grown next to beans.
Hint: Beans need rightuntil they reach their full size. Sow radishes next to where the beans will be planted a few weeks before planting the bush bean seeds. These take advantage of the free space and can be harvested before the beans take over the entire site.
The name already suggests that runner beans need a climbing aid. This can be made of wood, aluminum, wire or other materials. For the best possible yield, each plant needs its own stake. If you want to grow two rows, two poles can always be leaned against each other and tied together. These and other options for leaning the poles against each other sometimes cast shadows on the plants and are therefore only an advantage in some gardens. In order for the bean plant to develop well, the seedlings must have enough water available.
When and how to plant beans?
- Bean seeds are usually sown or placed about 3 cm deep in the ground
- Time for sowing is from around mid-May, when no more frost is to be expected
- Protect seedlings from slugs and drought (water in the morning)
- Bush beans are less complicated, but have a shorter harvest period and are less productive
- Beans prefer sunny to semi-shady, ideally wind-protected locations
- Beans grow well alongside savory, cucumber, collards, lettuce and celery
- They don't like leeks, garlic, onions and peas around them
Beans have a soil-improving value because, like all legumes, they fix atmospheric nitrogen in the soil. Actually, it is not the beans that do this, but so-called nodule bacteria that live in symbiosis with the beans. These bacteria get sugars from the beans and provide nitrogen in return. If the roots and the plant material remain on the bed after the bean harvest, this ensures a nitrogen enrichment in the soil after they decompose. In order to be able to take advantage of this positive effect, it is advisable for bed owners to plant beans in the bed. If you don't have a bed available, you can also sow beans there with sufficiently large planters. Runner beans can make good use of the vertical space on balconies and even look good.
Care for beans: Water and fertilize
Watering is particularly important for seedlings. Apart from thatof these, more developed plants should also be protected from drought during dry periods. Unfortunately, bean sprouts are often eaten by snails. Watering in the morning can help save them from nocturnal slug death.
When planting, you should ensure that the soil is enriched with sufficient nutrients. In a site with poor soil, you can amend the soil with mature compost or a slow release organic fertilizer before planting. With our Plantura organic tomato fertilizer you create optimal conditions for your beans to grow right from the start. This not only has a positive and gentle effect on beans of all kinds, but also on the soil and the animals in your garden.
You can find detailed instructions on how to fertilize beans here
Types and Varieties of Beans: A Great Variety
When choosing the type and variety of beans, it is easy to lose track of the variety. Due to the growth characteristics, the varieties of the common bean, the Phaseolus vulgaris, are divided into bush and pole beans. Their pods are usually greenish, but there are both bush and pole beans with yellow pods. This type of bean is also called wax bean. In addition, there are special types of bush and pole beans from which the entire pod is not prepared and eaten, as is usually the case, but only the bean kernels are harvested. These beans stay in the bed much longer, after all the bean seeds have to mature completely.
Typical varieties for using the bean kernels are, for example, 'Borlotto' or 'Canadian Wonder' (these are the typical red kidney beans). To complicate things a bit more, there are also the runner beans and the broad beans. Both have fleshier pods that are only eaten when harvested very young. If you wait longer, milk-ripe bean kernels or mature, dry bean kernels can be harvested from these types of beans. Runner beans ('white giants', 'prize winners') do particularly well in cooler, damp locations. A large selection of green and yellow bush and pole beans as well as broad bean varieties can be found here.
Harvesting beans: the right harvest time
The main harvest season for beans is in July and August. If the beans were planted later (possible up to the beginning of July), they can be harvested until October. Pole beans have a slightly longer oneHarvest time compared to bush beans.
Break a bean in half: If it breaks easily and you get a clean break, the beans are probably ready to be harvested. Most of the time, the beans are not clearly visible on the pod at this point. The bean seeds inside the pod should not be larger than 1 cm. The younger the pods are harvested, the more tender the beans are. If you want to harvest bean seeds, you must of course wait for the (milk) maturity of the bean seeds. For more tips on harvesting and preserving beans, click here.
Storing and preserving beans
There are different ways to preserve and preserve beans. Introducing a few.
Freeze Beans
The most vitamin-friendly way of preserving beans is to freeze them. Contrary to popular belief, beans don't necessarily need to be blanched before freezing. Beans are washed and the ends trimmed before freezing. If the beans are to be used later for a stew, for example, you can cut them into smaller pieces before freezing.
Canning Beans
Beans, like many other vegetables, are traditionally boiled in jars with vinegar and sugar. This type of preservation has the advantage that when the jars are opened later, you can serve ready-to-eat beans, for example as a side dish with dinner. However, the disadvantage of canning is that vitamins and flavor are lost.
Another way to preserve green beans for a shorter time is to pickle them. You can find a recipe for pickling beans here.
Dry Beans
If you want to harvest grain beans (the 'Borlotti' and 'Canadian Wonder' varieties are well suited for this), you should let the beans fully ripen and, in dry weather, let them dry for as long as possible. To ensure that the beans are completely dry and keep well, they are spread out in a dry place (e.g. on newspaper) for at least two weeks after harvesting. Cans or jars are best for storage.
Having aphid problems on your beans? The black bean aphid in particular can often be found on the plants. We'll show you how to remove the pest successfullyfight.