Earthly Garden

Is a garden a garden without some form of beans in it? Certainly beans are one of the basic staples of the home vegetable garden. And what selections there are. Beans can be large, small, round, flat, long, thin, fat, kidney shaped, bush growers, or vines (called pole beans). Whether they are called ’snap beans’, ’string beans’, or just ‘beans’, they are delicious, productive and easy to grow. Beans are a good source of vitamin A as well as providing us with calcium, iron and protein.

Even though beans are harvested at different stages of development, they all like the same kind of care. All beans require warm soil and warm weather (both day and night) to germinate and grow well. Seed is usually sown directly in the garden after the last frost. Plant in an area that receives full sun all day and has good drainage and air circulation. Beans are a legume which means that they can provide nitrogen to the soil by the beneficial bacteria in the nodules which grow on their roots. These bacteria have the capability of absorbing nitrogen from the air and then after harvest this nitrogen is left in the soil. A tip to help your beans increase this nitrogen-fixing ability is to treat seeds prior to planting with an ‘inoculants’. An ‘inoculants’ adds nitrogen-fixing bacteria to the soil and hence helps the bean plant utilize free atmospheric nitrogen as a fertilizer.

With some beans you will be able to select either a bush or pole type. You will get greater production over a long period of time from the pole types, but remember that those bear later than the bush and need some support. Be sure to plant pole beans in a location so that their tall growing habit will not cast shade on your garden. Pick young snap bean pods when the seeds are quite small and the flesh is firm and before pods get lumpy. Frequent picking will encourage continues production over an extended period. For continual production over an extended period. For continual harvest, make several plantings up to 60 days prior to the first frost in the fall. If you plant corn and have limited space, try sowing pole beans at the base of the corn stalks and let them provide the necessary support. The corn gives the beans support and the beans help anchor the corn against the wind as well as providing nitrogen.