Growing Beans 2008

[~Obsidian~]

Came across this lovely little article:

Beans are second only to tomatoes for popularity in the home garden, and rank second only to grains as a source of vegetable protein worldwide. Bean varieties include both bush and pole types, and there are a wide variety of colors, including purple, yellow, red, pink, and white. Popular bush beans include Greensleeves and Tendercrop, and for bush lima beans, try Fordhook #242 and Henderson. Good pole beans to try include Kentucky Wonder and Romano, and for limas, try King of the Garden.

There are basically two types of beans, edible podded, or snap beans, and shell beans with tough pods that have to be removed before eating. Allow shell types to mature fully on the vine before harvesting. Snap beans are harvested before they reach full maturity and eaten pods and all.

Beans are warm weather plants that are intolerant of frost, so be sure that the danger of frost has passed and the ground is warm when planting. Make successive plantings of bush beans every two weeks for a continuous supply, but sow only once for the other bean varieties. Beans are plants that fix nitrogen in the soil, improving the conditions for whatever crop you plant after the beans are finished. Pole beans should be planted in hills 2-3 feet apart with 4-5 seeds per hill, and bush beans should be spaced 2-3 inches apart. Side-dress with fertilizer for the best results when the plants are 4-6 inches high.

Do not allow beans to mature on the plant, or it will stop producing, and do not pick beans or cultivate when they are wet, or it will spread viral diseases.

Medicinal Value: Fresh beans are a moderate source of beta carotene, protein, dietary fiber, vitamin C, and carbohydrates. Some studies suggest that half a cup of beans per day has a cholesterol-lowering effect in many people. Beans also appear to have a blood sugar normalizing effect, and may be of benefit to diabetics. Lastly, beans make you feel full, and consumption of them may be of benefit in an individual weight loss program.

Source (http://www.gardensablaze.com/Vegetables/VegBeans.htm)

What kinds of beans are you all growing?

[~Obsidian~]

I feel that I may have just given my runner beans a death sentence. InshAllah they'll survive :o

Dratted snails! *shakes fist*

[Riz]

I was going to grow some french runner beans this season but i didnt have the space, but next season i will try them. We have a farm near were i live and its open to the public, you can wonder around and pick straight from the plant or vine anything they have growing, so i had lots of runner beans and they tasted delicious when i simmered them in water along with some other veg.

whats happened to your runner bean seedlings apart from the slug attack ?

[~Obsidian~]

Hey that's jammy! About the farm I mean

I transplanted the beans away from where they originally were (I kept finding snail eggs in the soil there :mad:) I'm just hoping they'll survive the transplant! Any fertiliser I could feed them to help them recover? :(

[Riz]

Hey that's jammy! About the farm I mean

yeah its really fun too.. you should check might be a farm in you area that lets members of the public do the same...

I transplanted the beans away from where they originally were (I kept finding snail eggs in the soil there :mad:) I'm just hoping they'll survive the transplant! Any fertiliser I could feed them to help them recover? :(

yeah when seedlings get transplanted they often flop over and look really tired, they will bounce back with some sun, you can use tomato nutrients to give the seedlings a little "pick me up" but make sure its a very weak soloution mixed with water, but they will be ok if you just watered them.. how often do you water them anyway ?

[~Obsidian~]

Water them usually once a day (that was when it was sunny, now I still do it every day but ALOT less water (supplemented by rain:rain-053:) Alhumdulillah I think they have survived, and it's about time I fed the toms anyway so I can give a bit to the beans too.


Bean plants are nifty! At night they let their leaves droop, and during the day they lift them up again :D Cool mechanism

[~Obsidian~]

It's called nyctinasty

[Riz]

some info........


Beans are among the easiest vegetables to grow, especially for a beginner gardener. The seeds are planted directly in the garden, germinate quickly and grow vigorously. This vegetable is a warm season crop and supply a good harvest in a small space. They include string, snap, and dried varieties and grow either as a bush or a pole plant.
Botanical Family - Papilionaceae/Pea & Bean Family
Location - Open, sunny area.
Soil - Best is sandy loam with neutral pH. Will succeed in almost any reasonable garden soil.
Soil Preparation - Dig in a few inches of aged horse manure or compost before planting.

Seed Spacing - Bush: 3 inches apart 1 inch deep; Pole: 5-8 seeds to a pole thin to 3-4 plants
Germinate in soil temperature of 21 – 32 C
Days to Maturity - Bush: 50-60 days; Pole 60-70 daysPlanting times - Seed mid May to beginning of July. Plant during a warm spell. Succession plant ever 2 weeks.Planting instructions - Plant bush varieties in rows. Pole varieties need to be staked, set up your stakes then place the seed at the bottom of a stake.
Companion Planting
Positive affect: beet, cabbage, carrot, corn, squash, tomato
Negative affect: chive, fennel, garlic, leekWatering - Do not water seeds until they have sprouted. Water regularly after that.
Weeding- Keep weeded while plants are small.
Disease & Insects - These plants need good air circulation. Do not harvest or work around them when plants are wet, this may spread disease.


http://www.your-vegetable-gardening-helper.com/images/beans-green-harvested.jpg http://www.your-vegetable-gardening-helper.com/images/beans-yellow-harvested.jpg Harvest - Pick your string or snap varieties every few days by pulling the pod with one hand while holding the plant with the other. Do not harvest if plants are wet as they will not store well. Smaller vegetables taste more tender. Dried varieties need to be harvested when the plant has matured fully. Shell the pods, then make sure they are thoroughly dried before storing them. Storage - To store fresh, place them in a plastic bag and they will keep for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Do not wash until you are ready to use them. Dried varieties will keep several months in a sealed container.

[~Obsidian~]

:D Jazakhallah Khayr!

I estimate the ones I planted to be around 17 days old...and they're still pretty teeny! 33-43 days to go InshAllah, will see how they do!

[~Obsidian~]

The bean pod/flower things have developed :D

[Riz]

little flowers will emerge :)

well done up too now , it was a late grow aswell huh !?

[~Obsidian~]

Yup quite late! What with all that snail malarkey I'm quite happy they got this far! It helps that they are dwarf bushes of course, didn't have far to grow.

[Riz]

ill be growing garden peas next season, cant wait too be honest i wish i grew beans this year but i had so much other things to do in the garden,

[~Obsidian~]

InshAllah that'll go well for you! Mine currently have those odd flowers on them :D

[~Obsidian~]

Okay, had totally given up on the beans because the snails had eaten them like crazy (and I didn't like kiling them with the pellets!). Just took a proper look today..and somehow I've got BEANS!! :eek:

[Riz]

are you going to plant some next season !?

[~Obsidian~]

Possibly, dunno yet. If I do I will do it earlier :p

[~Obsidian~]

I harvested a few a coupla days earlier...dunno what to do with them :confused:

[Kirsten]

GIve them to me! Just kidding, I love beans...

How many did you harvest? Enough to cook for dinner? :)

[~Obsidian~]

Lol maybe 5? What a pickle :p

[Kirsten]

haha I remember when I was really little we planted beans. And one summer we got all of... ONE bean, I kid you not. And I got to eat it on my birthday - my mom cooked up this big plate of store bought beans, and our one home grown bean. And you could tell it was home-grown because it was so awfully skimpy and smaller than all the rest!

[Riz]

haha I remember when I was really little we planted beans. And one summer we got all of... ONE bean, I kid you not. And I got to eat it on my birthday - my mom cooked up this big plate of store bought beans, and our one home grown bean. And you could tell it was home-grown because it was so awfully skimpy and smaller than all the rest!

thanks..
He-he
:D

[~Obsidian~]

haha I remember when I was really little we planted beans. And one summer we got all of... ONE bean, I kid you not. And I got to eat it on my birthday - my mom cooked up this big plate of store bought beans, and our one home grown bean. And you could tell it was home-grown because it was so awfully skimpy and smaller than all the rest!

:D :p thats so cute!

[felicity]

The beans seeds are just starting to sprout, when I plant them in the ground do I have to support them? Whats the best way to do that, canes or net etc?

[Riz]

ya some bamboo canes or netting,, whatever is feasible for ya

when u plant the seedlings make sure you dont pierce the tiny root when u insert the cane into the soil :)

[~Obsidian~]

The beans seeds are just starting to sprout, when I plant them in the ground do I have to support them? Whats the best way to do that, canes or net etc?

What kind of beans are you growing? If they are dwarf, then you just need a cane, doesn't even have to be bamboo. If they aren't dwarf, get thee a net, and fast!

:cheerleader:

How do they fare now?

[ze leetle elper]

didn't do beans this year! not enough space lol!

[felicity]

Mine are growing really well, read to be transferred to ground, Inshallah tomorrow.