on the surface of the soil around the beans after they
have germinated.
Some people recommend staggering plantings
at two-week intervals until about two months before
the fi rst killing frost is expected in the fall. However,
I have never found that practice to be necessary. I
plant them all at once, and then pick green beans
every couple of days all summer.
Bush beans usually germinate in about a week.
After the beans have germinated, apply several inches
of mulch to conserve moisture, to reduce weeds, and
to help keep the soil cool during hot spells that can
cause the beans to stop blooming. Maintain even soil
moisture of an inch per week throughout the grow-
ing season. These beans normally do not need sup-
port unless they are planted in unusually windy area.
If this is the case, they can be propped up by brushy
twigs or strong cords around stakes set at the end of
the row or in each corner of the bed. To extend the
harvest, cover them with old bed sheets when there
is a danger of frost. By doing this, bean harvest can
be extended even through several light frosts.
Insects and Disease Problems in Bush Beans
Insect pests that attack bush beans include
aphids, cabbage loopers, corn earworms, European
corn borers, Japanese beetles, and Mexican bean
beetles. Mexican bean beetles are considered the
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worst threat to a bean crop. Adults are oval, yellow-
brown, 1/4-inch long beetles with black spots, which
are frequently misidentifi ed as ladybugs. The larvae
are fat, dark yellow grubs with long branching pines.
Both will defoliate leaves from the underside, caus-
ing a lacy appearance and, if not dealt with, will kill
the plants. To prevent or reduce the damage, cover
the beans with row covers and hand pick larvae and
adult beetles.
In addition, there are 1/10-inch long black fl ies
with yellow stripes called leaf miners. The larvae
of these fl ies tunnel into the leaves and damage the
stems below the soil. Remove any affected plants and
burn them to prevent infestation in other plants.
To prevent attacks from striped cucumber bee-
tles, apply a thick mulch to discourage them from
laying their eggs in the soil near the plants and hand
pick any adults to remove them. Companion planting
with catnip, tansy, radishes, goldenrod, or nastur-
tiums can also help repel them.
Spraying garlic spray on the underside of the
leaves helps eliminate spider mites that like to live
there.
To minimize diseases on green bean plants, avoid
working in bush beans when they are wet from dew
or rain. If diseases strike, remove any infected plants
to reduce the risk of infecting the other plants.
Harvesting
Pick bush beans when they are pencil-sized, ten-
der and before the seeds inside form bumps on the
pod. Harvest them 2-3 days to encourage production.
Do not pull the pods off, but pinch the beans off with
your thumbnail and fi nger. If you are unable to mas-
ter that skill, you can use scissors to remove beans.
Serve or preserve the green beans the day they
are picked - the sooner after picking, the better.
For cooking, break them into bite-size pieces and
soak overnight. Pour off the water, add fresh water,
bring them to boil, and simmer until tender, which
takes several hours.
To dry beans, leave the pods on the plants until
the seed pods are brown and seeds rattle inside.
Seeds should be so hard that you cannot dent them
with your teeth. If the pods have yellowed and rain is
predicted, pull the plants from the ground and hang
them upside-down indoors to dry. Put the shelled
beans in airtight, lidded containers. Add oxygen ab-
sorbers and store them in a cool dry place. Beans will
keep for 10-12 months. GG
Donna Brown is the author of the gardening book Simply
Vegetable Gardening which is available on her website:
Cygnetbrow.com. She can be contacted at
[email protected].
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March 2019