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Healthy, loved by all, and used in my households with almost everything – this green veggie is one of the winter vegetables which you can grow in your kitchen garden.
Do you know what is the most amazing part? It can be grown even in an incredibly productive and very small area. Beans come with a number of health benefits.
If you are reading this article and are very fascinated to grow the staple in your home, here is what all you need to know – the idea of planting, growing, and harvesting green beans – both the pole bean type and bush bean type.
The Varieties
Apart from the famous French beans, there is a whole range of green veggie like Chinese (aka Asian); Italian/Romano; Purple beans; Snap beans (aka string beans or stringless); Yellow wax beans; ‘Bean Mascotte’.
Here are important things to know:
Planting Beans
- Beans grow best in the soil even with normal fertility.
- Seeds are best down directly in the ground anytime after the last spring frost.
- Do not start green bean seeds indoors; they may not survive to transplant.
- Sow bush bean seeds 1 inch deep and 2 inches apart in rows 18 inches apart. Plant a little deeper in sandy soils.
- If you like pole beans, 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.
- Rotate crops each year.
Care is the key
- Make sure that the soil is well-drained.
- Water regularly
- If necessary, fertilise after heavy bloom and the set of pods.
- Weed diligently and use shallow cultivation to prevent disturbing the root systems.
- Pinch out the tops of pole beans when they reach the top of the support to force them to put energy into producing more pods.
- In high heat, use row covers; hot weather can cause blossoms to drop from plants, reducing harvest.
Harvesting of Green Beans
- Morning is the best time to harvest.
- Green beans are picked young and tender before the seeds inside have fully developed.
- Pick green beans every day
- Look for firm, sizable that are firm and can be snapped, generally as thick as a pencil.
- Snap or cut off the plant, do not tear the plant. Fresh beans should snap easily when broken.
- Once you see the seeds inside bulging, green beans are past their peak and will taste tough.
- Store beans in a moisture-proof, airtight container in the refrigerator. Beans will toughen over time even when stored properly.
- Beans can be kept fresh for about 4 days, or blanched and frozen immediately after harvesting.
