Beans

Beans are a 3DUH favorite for several reasons. First, green beans are Angel’s favorite veggie. Second, they germinate quickly and that is very satisfying. Third, the crop is so bountiful that we harvest handfuls everyday. And fourth, they are so easy to prepare for freezing that I don’t have to put aside a whole day to put them up.

When you are picking beans for your garden you’ll be looking at two different kinds: Pole or Runner beans which require an 8 foot trellis and Bush beans that just need a little bit of space and do well in a pot. It’s not just about space or infrastructure, each kind of bean offers something different.

Pole Beans - these are your classic green beans, purple peacocks, wax beans. They like a sunny spot and reach for the sky growing anywhere from 6-10 feet tall. You can eat the pods along with the beans

Runner Beans - like scarlett runners do well in a cloudy, moist environment and don’t mind clay soil. They also climb high and require a trellis, young beans can be eaten in the pod, while a more mature bean is better shelled.

Bush Beans - there are hundreds of varieties of bush beans. They do well in a deep pot. Young beans can be eaten in the pod. If you leave the pod on the plant, they will dry up and then all you need to do is shell them. Also known as threshing the beans. They can be store dry just like the beans in the store.

Speaking of dry beans in the store - did you know you can plant those!

Soil Type

Beans prefer a loamy soil (equal parts silt, sand and clay) because it holds a good amount of moisture without being soggy. However, If you prepare a good 1-2" of organic compost into the the soil before planting, and keep them moderatley moist they will thrive.

Companions

All of the beans are friendly with beets, peas, chard, carrots, dill, parsley, tomatoes and marigolds. They especially appreciate nasturtiums and rosemary because they keep the bean beetles at bay. They are not friendly with garlic and onions.

Sowing

Sow your bush beans on the date of your last frost (beans that sprout before a frost will freeze) Wait on your pole beans until the early summer months. Succession plant your beans every 2 weeks for bountiful crops all summer and early fall.

Feeding

Look for a 5-10-15 fertilizer to feed bi-weekly. The roots of the bean plants produce their own nitrogen, too much added nitrogen will cause a lot of leaves, but less beans. Prepare the beds with organic compost before sowing (see soil type above)

Harvest

Harvest Beans as they ripen on the plant. Use right away or preserve for later meals. Once they start coming on you'll harvest daily. Pinch them off the vine at the stem. Avoid pulling or the whole vine will pull away from the trellis.

Collecting Seeds

The beans themselves are the seeds. You could even plant dry beans from the grocery store! Shell and let them dry completely before storing for the next season.

Canning/Preserving/Storing

Pole beans are meant to be eating with the pod. As they are pinched from the vine cook them as they are. To preserve, you have the option of freezing or canning.

Freezing: snap or trim the ends of each bean, blanche for 3 minutes, then lay out on a tray to freeze, when they are frozen you can bag them in vacuum seal bags for meals.

Canning: water bath: the only appropriate way to water bath beans is by pickling - 10-15 minutes with 1/4" headspace pressure canning: To hot pack, boil the beans for 5 minutes before packing in to hot jars. To Raw pack, add 1 tsp of canning salt per quart, then add boiling water with 1" headspace. Process pints for 20 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure, quarts 25 minutes at 10 pounds. *adjust for your altitude, refer to the USDA for appropriate times/weights.

Click on the picture below to get the PDF printable for your garden journal