I say beans are the “jack of all trades” in the vegetable category. From your salad to soup, the addition of beans makes those delicious while offering protein, fibre, and nutrients. Surprisingly, its growing process is not that tough. Even if you are an amateur in gardening, you can go for planting this vegetable.
However, even though growing beans is easy, critical knowledge is required to ensure higher yields. I suggest you read this article before starting with beans growing.
Here, I share my experience in a structured manner so that you have an expert gardener level of knowledge on how to grow bean. Additionally, I have listed some tips for care and maintenance of bean plants to make your gardening more effective. Let’s start.
Must-Consider Factors to Grow Bean
Before reading the expert guide on bean gardening, I suggest you consult the facts below to get healthy beans in good quantity from the plants.
- The bean plants are considered the most suitable companion for many other vegetables. Bean plants extract nitrogen from the air through the naturally inhabited symbiotic bacteria, which supports neighbouring plants’ health.
- Roots of bean plants trigger a substantial amount of aeration, boosting soil structure.
- Most amazingly, bean plants attract beneficial insects like bees, ladybugs, etc., contributing to the whole garden’s betterment.
- You can use mulch made of bean leaves for the same plants. You can say bean plants manage their nutrients by themselves.
- Beans are a lucrative solution for cover crops. By planting beans, you incorporate the concept of eco-friendly gardening in the case of restricting weed generation, soil erosion, and so on.
How to Grow Bean
The following is the stepwise guide to growing beans with a higher yield level.
Step 01: Selecting Bean Type
Many varieties of beans are available, including green, French, common, snap, black, pinto, kidney, lima, etc. Based on the plant’s criteria, the beans are categorized into pole and bush beans. Again, the exploration of bean varieties does not end here; there are many more varieties.
For example, only the common bean has five popular types: romano, golden wax, Kentucky wonder, royal burgundy, and bountiful. However, consider the below factors while selecting the bean category.
Climate
The climate condition at different times of the year is a crucial consideration when selecting bean types. For instance, if you reside in Mississippi, where the climate is categorized as humid subtropical, you should go for the common green bean growing.
On the other hand, if you live in the Southern part of the USA, you can grow Kentucky blue, provider, noodle, python, jade, etc. beans.
Space Availability
If your garden is large and you can allocate ample space for growing beans, I suggest you consider planting pole beans. On the other hand, bush beans require less space and are suitable for small gardens.
Finally, for indoor gardening, you can plant beans like dwarf bees, purple string, runner, yellow bush, green snap bush, etc.
Harvesting Criteria
Your bean harvesting needs also influence the type selection. Bush beans provide a greater yield than pole beans. However, the issue with the bush bean is that you have to harvest all at once.
On the contrary, you can harvest pole beans throughout the year, but their yield is lower than that of bush beans.
Culinary-related Preferences
The selection of which bean to grow also depends on your culinary preference. For example, lima beans provide a buttery taste, while black bean provides a mild and meaty taste.
Step 02: Preparing the Garden
After selecting the desired bean type, it is time to prepare the allocated portion of the garden for bean planting. First, allocate a piece of land in your garden that receives 4-8 hours of sunlight daily.
You need to ensure that the selected portion of your garden is equipped with adequate drainage facilities. Now, prepare the soil of the portion considering the factors listed below.
- Start the soil preparation at least 2-3 weeks before planting.
- Acidic soil favors bean plant’s growth. So, I suggest you create a layer of 5-20 cm of clay soil if the selected garden portion’s soil is unsuitable for beans.
- Loosen the soil to 20 cm below the surface. You have to ensure that the soil pH level is 6-7. If the pH is low, use dolomite or agricultural lime to increase the pH.
- Now, add organic compost with a soil depth of 10 cm at least.
- Create trances 75 cm and 55 cm apart for the pole and bush beans, respectively.
Step 03: Sowing Seeds
To grow the seedlings, you have two options: sowing the seed directly into the garden soil and growing the seedlings in a tray or pot. If you grow seedlings in a soil tray or pod, you have to put extra effort into transferring those into the ground.
Sowing Seeds Directly into Garden Soil
- You need to soak the bean seeds for a whole night to facilitate better germination.
- Sow 2-4 seeds at a depth of 5 cm. Ensure that there is a 10-18 cm distance from one sowing spot to another.
- Slowly cover the seeds with loosened soil and gently water each seeding spot.
- Seedlings will come out after 3-12 days.
Sowing Seeds Directly into Garden Soil
- Arrange the soil tray or pot and fill it with 8-12 cm of soil layer. Soak the seeds for a whole night.
- Depending on the tray or pod space area, create multiple 2.5-4 cm deep holes. Put 1 or 2 seeds per hole and cover the seeds with loose soil. Water the holes. But, do not water any more till the germination takes place.
- Seedlings will come out within 3-10 days. Then, transfer the seedlings to the garden soil. Be careful when transferring, as the bean roots are highly fragile.
Step 04: Caring for the Seedlings
Use sessoires to thin out the roots. Carefully observe while the leaves come out after 10-14 days. Ensure appropriate watering at this stage. Do not disturb the root after thining one time.
Tips for Care and Maintenance of Bean
Apply the below-listed tips when the plants reach 10-12 cm height.
Creating Support
For growing pole beans, create vertical support using bamboo. If you are growing bush beans, you must create a combination of vertical and horizontal support. Ensure the horizontal portion contains bamboo sticks placed densely.
The required vertical support number for bush bean plant growing depends on the size and shape of the horizontal support, as the vertical support not only allows the plant to reach the horizontal support but also carries the load of the horizontal support assembly.
However, the reason for using bamboo sticks in support is that the bamboo is bio-degradable, imposing zero environmental harm. Bamboo is my favorite for support because I prefer eco-friendly gardening. You can use steel wire or other supporting items.
Watering and Weeding
Water the plants every week with 1-inch volume of water. If you reside in a dry area, you have to water once every five days. Remove weeds manually without disturbing the shallow roots of the plant.
Mulching
Moisture retention is crucial for the healthy growth of the bean plants. To ensure moisture retention, you have to do mulching. I prefer using shredded straw or leaves for organic mulching.
Fertilization
If you prefer inorganic fertilization, you can use OCP eco-aminogro every two weeks to boost the plants’ health and get a greater yield. However, I prefer organic fertilization. I use agricultural lime, manure, and organic compost.
Pest and Disease Control
To protect the bean plants and fruits from pests and diseases, consult the table below.
| Issue | Controlling approach |
| Aphids and whiteflies | Neonicotinoid, o.o5% andosulfan |
| Mites | Spray 0.2% sulfur |
| Fungal and bacterial diseases | Crop rotation every two years, using high-quality seeds that are free from diseases, restricting overhead irrigation, etc. |
Harvesting
You can start harvesting when the beans become mature in size and shape. Do regular harvesting to boost the yield. If going for hand-picking. Be cautious not to damage leaves and body parts.
Final Thoughts
I expect that my comprehensive guide on how to grow beans will help you substantially. By implementing the tips for care and maintenance of beans, you will be able to ensure good plant and crop health.
Finally, I suggest you plant other veggies like arugula, cilantro, etc., to distract the insects looking for beans to eat and destroy.
