How to Grow Beans, Growing Pole Beans, Planting Green Beans

How to grow beans when backyard vegetable gardening. Learn the bestway to plant, grow, care for, and harvest pole bean plants in your garden.

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Since you can never have too many friends, good companion plantingsfor pole beans include carrot, cucumber, marigold, eggplant,cauliflower, potato, pea, chard, and corn.

Vegetable plants that green beans should avoid are cabbage, kohlrabi,beet, radish, and the entire onion family.

Most gardeners who grow both pole and bush beans claim pole beans aremore tender, and sweeter of the two.

Where flavor is a matter of individual taste there is no doubt whichbean produces the highest yields.

Pole beans are the higher producer and are also much easier to pick.

Soil Preparation for Growing Pole Beans

Ideal pH level for pole beans is 6.5-7.5.

Keeping the pH of the soil at the desired level for the vegetableplants being grown greatly reduces or eliminates many plant diseases andpests.

The proper soil pH prevents the plants from becoming stressed andpermits them access to essential nutrients. (And you thought the pH wasjust a number!)

For example, diseases such as scab or clubroot can be managed byadjusting soil pH.

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Add compost or other fertilizer according to directions on package tothe garden soil to ensure healthy plants.

How to Grow Beans : Planting

One of the most effective ways to deter pests is by companion planting.

Beans and potatoes planted in adjacent beds can mutually benefit oneanother.

The beans repel Colorado potato beetles and the potatoes drive awayMexican bean beetles.

Varieties of Pole Beans

Emerite

Blue Lake

Supporting Pole Beans

The vines will climb netting, twine, or poles. For poles or twineplant seeds in groups of 4-6 leaving 16 inches between the groupings.

For netting, plant seeds three inches apart with a row on eitherside of the netting, staggering the rows.

Anchor the twine or netting to the ground using loops of heavy wireor stakes.

How to Grow Beans

How to Grow Beans : Harvesting Pole Beans

Pole beans continue to produce over a season of six to eight weekswhich is much longer than bush beans.

Pole beans tend to stay tender on the vine longer than bush beans.

Regular harvesting is still required to extend the harvest time.

When you have picked all the beans you and your neighbors need, allowthe remaining pods to mature and use them as shell beans.

Green beans that are to be eaten fresh or preserved by canning orfreezing taste best early in their development.

The beans should be picked long before the seeds inside the pods arefully matured.

Beans growing much bigger than the diameter of a pencil declinequickly in tenderness.

Freezing Green Beans

Last but not least, pole beans freeze very well, keeping a firmertexture than bush beans.

After picking the green beans from your garden, wash and remove stemend and bean tip.

The green beans can be cut into 1 inch lengths, or left whole.

Blanch the prepared beans with boiling water for 2-3 minutes.

Drain well, and place in plastic containers.

If using zipper bags, push excess air out of the bag before closingcompletely.

Place containers in the freezer.

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How to Grow Beans to Vegetable Gardening

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