Growing and picking beans, whether bush or pole, is a satisfying part of gardening. Here’s how:
Choosing Beans: Pick beans suited to your climate and garden space. Options include green, yellow, or runner beans. Decide between compact bush beans or climbing pole beans.
Spot Selection: Beans thrive in sunlight, so choose a sunny garden spot with 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily.
Soil Prep: Beans like well-drained soil with slightly acidic to neutral pH. Enhance soil fertility with compost.
Planting: Plant seeds directly in the garden after the last frost. For bush beans, plant 1-2 inches deep and 2-4 inches apart in rows 18-24 inches apart. For pole beans, create mounds or use trellises.
Watering: Keep soil moist but not waterlogged, especially during flowering and fruiting.
Fertilizing: Though beans add nitrogen naturally, use balanced fertilizer or compost before planting.
Mulching: Apply mulch around plants to retain moisture, suppress weeds, and maintain soil temperature.
Support for Pole Beans: Install trellises, stakes, or strings for climbing support.
Pest and Disease Management: Watch for pests like aphids and diseases like rust. Employ organic pest control and maintain garden hygiene.
Harvesting: Beans mature in 50 to 65 days. Pick when pods are tender. Snap beans should break easily when bent, and yellow beans may turn bright yellow. Use clean scissors or fingers.
Continuous Harvest: Regularly pick beans to encourage more growth. Bush beans produce pods as long as they thrive, while pole beans have a longer harvest period.
Storage: Keep freshly harvested beans in the fridge for a few days. For longer storage, blanch and freeze, or consider canning or pickling.
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Like if you like harvesting beans! ❤