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Also known as snap beans for their distinct “snapping” sound when ripe, bush beans are the most popular home-grown beans for novice and expert gardeners alike. They also are easy to grow.
As an added bonus, these plants tend to ripen all at once, which means you’ll have a large number of beans and you won’t have to keep guessing if the plant is going to produce. This can make it easier to freeze or can the vegetables.
Interested in giving bush beans a try in your garden this summer? Follow these tips:
1. Make sure it’s warm
Beans love warm – even hot — weather. While they can grow in poor soil conditions, they cannot grow when it’s cold or the region is still experiencing frost at night.
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If you jumped the gun and planted before it was warm enough, that doesn’t mean the crop is ruined, but beans planted in cold soil just don’t grow as fast; it also makes them prone to rot or various diseases found in soil.
2. Soak the seeds
If you are looking for an even faster turnaround time, try placing the seeds in water overnight before planting. The seeds will swell up with water and they’ll be ready to germinate, meaning you will get your beans even faster.
3. Water, water, water
Beans grow better with a good water supply, but they don’t do so well when the soil is too wet or doesn’t drain properly. To ensure the soil drains properly and your beans don’t rot, use organic material, like compost, before you plant the beans. After the plants have started sprouting, allow them to dry out – just a bit – before watering again.
4. Place them close together
Unlike other plants, bush beans can be planted close together, without impact to the growing process. When the bean plants begin to sprout, they will form a canopy of shade over the soil, keeping it cool. That then will deter weeds from growing, which ultimately will provide you with a much better crop.
5. Pick a new spot
Gardeners who have grown beans for years often will recommend not growing beans in the same spot two seasons in a row. Beans are very vulnerable to soil-borne diseases, so crop rotation helps. You also will stop the formation of diseases.
6. Get the weeds out
Bean plants tend to have shallow roots when compared to weeds, which means they won’t get the nutrients from the soil when weeds have deeper roots and hog all the nutrients. For this reason, it is recommended to keep your bean garden well-weeded so the plants stay healthy and will produce.
What advice would you add on growing bush beans? Share your thoughts in the section below:
