FEATURESTORY
by Donna Brown
Easy-To-Grow Bush Green Beans
B
ush green beans are easy to grow and are
perfect for people new to vegetable gar-
dening. The bush green bean can be grown
in almost any climate and, unlike pole
beans; they don’t need any special supports.
Beans are legumes. In addition to providing a nu-
tritious vegetable, they fix nitrogen into the soil. In-
oculated beans can also help improve the soil when
they are tilled under. There are many types of bush
beans, and there is a variety to suit almost any pal-
ette. They can be eaten when they are young and can
also be allowed to go to seed for a high protein food.
Bush beans are relatively small plants and can be
tucked into small spaces all over the garden. They do
not produce as many beans per season, as pole beans
do, but do produce consistently until after the first
frost in fall.
Bush Beans At A Glance
◆ ◆ Plant them after all danger of frost has passed.
◆ ◆ Planting depth: 1-1 1/2 inches deep.
◆ ◆ Plant them 2-3 inches apart
◆ ◆ Germination time: 7-10 days
◆ ◆ Time until harvest: 50-70 days
For a continual harvest, make successive plant-
ings of bush beans every two weeks until seven
weeks prior to the first frost.
March 2019
Growing Bush Beans
With the exception of fava beans, bush beans
are generally very sensitive to frost. They also do not
transplant well; but if you have a very short growing
season, it is possible to plant them in peat pots and
then transplant them into the garden. In addition, get
the shortest season variety possible.
Do not soak or pre-sprout green bean seeds be-
fore planting. Though you should dust them with
a bacterial inoculate powder. Plant the first crop of
beans a week or two after the last expected frost
date. I plant my bush beans in double rows with
plants 1-inch deep in our heavy Missouri soils. But
if you live in an area where the soil is a light sandy
loam, plant them 1 1/2 inches deep. Firm the earth
over them for good soil contact. Plant each seed 3
inches apart and the second double row 6 inches
from the first. The next set of double rows should be
about 2 feet from the first double row.
The soil for beans does not need any additional
nitrogen for good growth. The beneficial bacteria that
live in the nodules in the bean roots provide plenty
of nitrogen for the plants. Excess nitrogen produces
leaves rather than beans. Rather than providing ni-
trogen, sprinkle kelp powder into the planting row
on the beans when they are planted and then again
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