So, how do beans grow? We’ll be discussing it in this simple guide to planting green beans.
Green beans may be more familiar to some people as ‘string beans.’ These are a staple ingredient in many Asian dishes like ramen, spring rolls, and chop suey. There are a lot of uses for green beans in the kitchen, whether you mix them with other ingredients or serve them on their own as a side dish.
More than that, green beans are really easy to grow and they yield quite an abundant harvest. There are two kinds of green beans – bush beans and pole beans. Bush beans are those that can be grown in a pot and are compact. They’re only about two feet tall. Pole beans, on the other hand, are those that need a trellis for support. These are vines that need some sort of support structure since it grows upwards.
Bush Beans: How to Grow Beans in Pots
Pole beans can be grown indoors as long as you provide a long stick where the vines could climb up. However, for this section, we’ll be using bush beans in answering the question, “how do beans grow in pots?”
Because green beans are compact and don’t need a pole for support, it’s ideal to grow them in pots. This is beneficial especially to those who don’t have much planting space and can only accommodate a couple of pots in their house.
In learning how to grow beans in pots, you’ll be needing a pot with several drainage holes. Make sure it can accommodate at least six inches of soil. You can buy a vegetable start mix or make one on your own, but a ready mix would be much easier.
Tip
Before planting your beans, mix in fertilizer to the soil. The number of seeds you plant depends on how big your pot is. The general rule is to leave at least an inch of space between seeds. It would also help if you choose a variety of seeds that grows well in containers.
Once your pot, soil, and seeds are ready, you can now start planting. Place the seeds about an inch deep into the soil. Make sure to keep the soil evenly moist as the seeds start to germinate.
After about a week, you should be able to see sprouts peeping through the soil. When this happens, put a little bit of mulch over the soil so that it locks in the moisture.
Bush beans need plenty of water, so monitor your plants regularly. When the top two inches of soil becomes dry, that’s when you need to water your plant.
Feed your plant with liquid vegetable fertilizer once a month.
You should be able to see pods in about two months or so. They’ll be ready for harvest once the pods are medium sized and firm.
You can choose to serve them when they’re still fresh since that’s when they taste the best. However, you can also freeze them so that they can be consumed far past their harvest time.
If you are interested in Square foot gardening read my article about it.
How to Grow Pole Beans in Your Backyard
It is a requirement in growing pole beans to have a trellis or a pole that the vines can cling to as they grow. Learning how to grow pole beans with a trellis and all may seem a little bit overwhelming, but it’s really easy! And, the yields will be so rewarding for you as a plant parent!
Pole beans also don’t like their roots to be disturbed, so the best option for them is to sow them directly in your garden so that you won’t have to transplant them and risk damaging them.
In placing the seeds in the soil, make sure to space them about 4-8 inches apart from each other. Plant the seeds about an inch deep into the soil and lightly cover them with soil. Once that’s done, water them until the top two or three inches of soil are damp.
Your seeds should start to germinate in about a week and a half. To keep them growing well, make sure they get full sun in temperatures that are at least 60ºF (15.5ºC). Fertilizer should be mixed with soil before planting, and only mulch is needed as it grows to conserve moisture in the soil.
Water your pole beans weekly with about an inch of water. They do need a lot of water, but they also can’t tolerate soggy soil. Make sure to keep your plant evenly moist to ensure good growth.
Your pole beans should be ready for harvest within about two months. Harvest them when the pods are full and swollen. Again, if you won’t be consuming them fresh from harvest, you can freeze them for future use.
Green Bean Plant Stages
There are four green bean plant stages. The first one is the seed stage where your new plant will be emerging from.
The next stage is germination where your seeds would start to produce sprouts and seedlings.
The third stage is leaf growth. It’s when your seedlings start to grow their true sets of adult leaves.
Lastly, there’s the flowering stage where your plant becomes mature enough to produce beans that are kept in pods.
This simple guide has attempted to answer the question, “how do beans grow?”, and hopefully, it has been tackled well throughout the article.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to grow green beans both indoors and outdoors, maybe it’s time for you to actually try it out for yourself.
If you want to always have a side dish ready for your meals, green beans are definitely one of the best ways to go! Just pop them in the pan and stir fry them or sauté them. You can even roast them or put them in a salad. Really, the possibilities are almost endless!
I know you’re excited, but don’t eat beans straight from harvest! They’re not deadly but doing so would mean eating a little bit of poison. It would be best to at least wash the beans first before eating them fresh.
Now, it’s time to spill the beans to your friends! Get them to start planting their own green beans at home while we’re all stuck in quarantine! Enjoy!
Read my other article on growing chickpeas.
