Bush beans spread out horizontally while pole beans need to climb vertically. Bush beans do not need any sort of support in the garden, while pole beans require a trellis to climb. Recommended bush varieties for most regions include Bush Blue Lake and Bountiful.
Recommended pole varieties for most regions include Fortex and Kentucky Wonder. Install a trellis for your pole beans to climb, such as a cattle panel, wooden lattice, or similar garden trellis.
Since green beans do not do well in heavily-moist soil, you should avoid shaded locations, since shade tends to help soil retain moisture for prolonged periods.
If working with clay-heavy soil, spread 2 inches (5. 1 cm) of manure or compost over the soil and work it into the top 1 foot (30 cm) of soil using a shovel, garden fork, or rototiller. You could also mix sawdust or sand into the soil if it is especially heavy. If working with sandy soil, spread the same amount of heavy manure or compost into the soil in the same manner, but skip the sawdust. No matter what type of soil you have, you should also make sure that the area is free of weeds, trash, stones, and other debris.
10-20-10 fertilizer is slightly richer in phosphorus than in nitrogen or potassium, so it is good for producing a strong crop yield. If you use a fertilizer high in nitrogen, then your plant will grow a lot of leaves but few beans.
If you’re planting pole beans in a container, stick a trellis or lattice in the container as well, to allow the bean plants to grow. Since potted plants often dry out faster, you should check your soil moisture more often. You may need to water your green beans more if they’re potted.
If the soil temperature drops below this, even at night, the seeds may not germinate well, resulting in slow growth.
The simplest support you can provide for pole beans is a cattle panel. This is a small section of wire fence measuring about 16 feet (4. 9 m) by 5 feet (1. 5 m). Simply set up the fence behind your growing area before planting the seeds. You could also use a traditional pyramid trellis or a metal or plastic stake. Position either one just behind the planting location and make sure that the bottom 4 inches (10 cm) or so are underground.
Avoid soaking the seeds before planting or immediately after planting. When exposed to excessive moisture, green bean seeds have a tendency to crack and break.
Plant pole bean seeds 4–6 inches (10–15 cm) apart. It’s best not to start your seeds indoors, as green beans don’t survive transplant well. Your seedlings likely won’t thrive after transplanting.
Other good mulches include weathered straw and untreated lawn clippings. Make sure to use grass clippings that do not contain pesticides as mulch. Mulch can also help prevent the spread of weeds.
Note, however, that excessively hot weather may cause the plants to drop their blossoms and pods prematurely. If you live in a region known for particularly hot summers, you may need to put a stop to your green bean growing season during the hottest months.
If the first frost occurs before your final crop of green beans is ready to harvest, the buds or pods may drop prematurely. This is true even if the frost only occurs at night and the daytime temperatures are still within the ideal range.
Later in the growth cycle, too much or too little water can cause the blossoms and pods to drop prematurely. It is best not to water your green bean plants during the middle of day as evaporation can occur.
If the soil is nutrient-rich (and not sandy or clayey), you shouldn’t need to add fertilizer more than once a month.
If your soil is nutrient-deprived, you can fertilize the plants once a week with a light application of balanced, fast-release fertilizer. If your soil is somewhat on the sandy side, you might need to apply a fertilizer rich in nitrogen once the first seedlings form and once more once the plants reach their bud stage. Green beans prefer soils with a pH between 6. 0 and 6. 5. If your soil is especially acidic or basic, you might need to apply fertilizers formulated to balance the soil pH.
When removing weeds, do not dig too deep. Green beans have shallow roots, and digging too deep into the soil can cause damage to these roots. Do not weed when the foliage is wet, since doing so would increase the risk of disease.
Green beans are especially attractive to aphids, mites, cutworms, Mexican bean beetles, and Japanese beetles, and are especially weak against white mold and mosaic viruses. Get rid of cutworms with a Bacillus thuringiensis insecticide. Get rid of aphids and mites by hosing them off your leaves with a hard burst of water.
If the beans are given more time to mature, the pods will become more stringy and develop a tough outer skin. Note that the seeds inside should not be allowed to fully develop. At a fully developed, mature stage, the inner seeds will turn hard.
If you harvest the beans before they’ve fully matured and become stringy, your bean plants may produce a second harvest.
If you prefer your green beans whole, you can skip the breaking step. It’s still best to string the beans shortly after they are harvested, though.
Freeze, can, or pickle green beans for long-term storage. The beans can be kept in the freezer for 3–6 months.
