Mulching around the base of the plants helps to keep the ground moist for longer, and it gives weeds a tougher time. Keep your beans well watered in dry weather, especially once they begin to flower. Bush types rarely need much support, though top-heavy plants, laden with beans, will appreciate short canes, twigs or peasticks to keep them off the ground. Seedlings may sometimes need a little encouragement to latch on to their supports, but they’ll quickly find their own way up. Take the opportunity to create a centerpiece to your garden – a vertical leafy accent brimming with blooms and beans! Bean teepees make a great focal point in the garden Caring for Beans It’s a simple take on the usual ridge-supported setup, and by having the canes leaning away from the center like this the beans hang to the outside, so they’re a lot easier to pick.īut it’s bean teepees that are arguably the prettiest support option. Instead of leaning into each other, the canes lean out and are secured to a rectangular frame at the top. The traditional way to grow beans is against parallel rows of bamboo canes, joined where they cross at the top to a horizontal cane. Plant pole beans at least six inches (15cm) apart, with rows around two feet (60cm) apart. Pole and runner beans need sturdy supports Planting and Supporting Pole Beans Use a trowel to dig a hole, drop the plant into place then fill in around it and firm into position. Carefully ease them from their plugs or pots, then lay them out where they are to be planted. Space bush bean plants at the same distances as used for sowing. A shaded cold frame is great for acclimatizing plants. Harden seedlings off a week beforehand by leaving them outside for a few hours, increasing the time gradually each day. Transplant them outside only when you’re sure there’s no chance of a late frost. You can get away with sowing one seed per module or pot but sow a few extras just in case! Bush beans can be sown repeatedly for a succession of harvests Planting Bush Beansīeans don’t tolerate frost. Use deep plug trays or pots so there’s enough room for the roots, and sow into any general-purpose or seed-starting mix. This will also help protect young seedlings from slugs and snails. Or sow in a greenhouse or cold frame for the earliest start – up to a month before your last frost date. Thin each pair of seedlings to leave the strongest. Make the first sowing one week before your last expected frost date, then continue sowing every three or four weeks until midsummer. Drop in two seeds per hole, so they fall about an inch (2cm) apart, and are two inches (5cm) deep. Use a hoe to scratch out rows or dig individual planting holes with a trowel. Sow beans where they are to grow, against their supports or, for bush types, four to six inches (10-15cm) apart with 18 inches (45cm) left between each row. By spring the ground will be beautifully rich and moisture-retentive, and your beans will thrive in it. Fill it up with kitchen scraps and spent crops, top with leaves then cap it off with soil. Dig out a trench about a foot (30cm) deep where your beans are to grow. Then there are the beans exclusive to warmer climates including soya beans, lima beans, and the appropriately named yard-long beans! Grow High Yields of BeansĪll beans prefer a sunny spot in well-drained soil that was improved with compost or well-rotted manure the autumn before sowing.Ī clever technique to boost growth is to create a compost trench. Runner beans tend to have slightly coarser pods and continue cropping a few weeks later than string beans. Depending on where you live, you’ll also know them as string beans, snap beans or French beans. Green beans generally have smooth, slender pods. They’re a great way to add height to the vegetable garden and can make an attractive feature.īeans can be further categorized by their pods. Pole or climbing beans need a little more space and some form of support to help them climb, but on the flip side you’ll get many more beans from each plant. They’re handy for filling in any gaps and perfect for tubs and window boxes. Bush beans are very quick growing and may be sown every three or four weeks from spring to give a succession of pickings throughout summer.
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