6 Helpful Hints for Planting Bush Beans

Bush beans are a fast-growing and low-maintenance crop to grow in your home veggie garden. Some varieties mature in as little as 45-50 days, and the plants grow well just about anywhere. This post covers everything gardeners should know about planting bush beans and keeping them flourishing until harvest time.

Bush beans are among the most popular crops among home gardeners because they don’t need much extra care and thrive in most growing climates. Plus, it’s so satisfying to watch fast-growing plants like bush beans sprout and flourish.

An added benefit of planting bush beans around your garden is their ability to fix valuable nitrogen in the surrounding soil. Most types of plants cannot absorb atmospheric nitrogen. However, legumes like beans and peas have a symbiotic relationship with soil bacteria, converting nitrogen from the air into ammonium nitrates. These get released into the soil and taken up by plants’ roots. As such, beans make fantastic companion plants for many other vegetable crops.

Practical Tips and Tricks for Planting Bush Beans

Green beans, also known as filet beans, string beans, or snap beans, are a frost-tender annual plant with a remarkably fast growth rate. Although the name “string beans” refers to a long fibrous string running down the bean pods, most bean varieties grown today are stringless.

Both bush beans and pole beans have the botanical name Phaseolus vulgaris. However, it’s crucial to distinguish between the two when selecting which bean varieties to plant. Bush beans have a compact and upright growth habit and reach approximately two feet tall. The plants don’t need trellises or stakes for support. On the other hand, pole beans grow best on a trellis or teepee stakes, and their long vines can grow up to fifteen feet long. Runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus) are sometimes confused with pole beans. They have larger pods and are grown both as an edible crop and for their showy ornamental flowers.

Bean plants grow best in a location with full sun and soil that’s well-draining and rich in organic matter. Many gardeners plant them in a few different areas around the garden to take advantage of the plants’ nitrogen-fixing capabilities. However, keep legume plants separate from plants in the Allium family, which includes onions, garlic, chives, leeks, and scallions. These plant groups reportedly stunt each other’s growth.

How to Grow Bush Beans from Seed

For the best possible results, sow bush bean seeds directly in your garden beds. The young seedlings have fragile root systems that can easily get damaged during transplant. After germinating, they grow fast enough that there’s not much advantage to starting them indoors.

Plant bean seeds an inch deep with the eye or dark spot facing downwards. Germination usually takes four to ten days or longer in cold soil. Spacing between each plant should be about two inches.

When selecting bush bean varieties to plant, look for the traits that best suit your growing climate. Relevant factors to consider include disease resistance, drought or heat tolerance, growth habits, and when to plant bush beans in your USDA zone.

Top Bush Bean Varieties

• Blue Lake (heirloom, rich flavor, disease-resistant, 5-6 inch green pods, 45-50 days to harvest)
• Burpee’s Stringless (heirloom, sweet flavor, drought/heat tolerant, disease-resistant, 5-inch green pods, 45-50 days to harvest)
• Contender (heirloom, strong flavor, heat tolerant, disease resistant, 6-8 inch green pods, 45-50 days to harvest)
• Dragon Tongue (heirloom, sweetly nutty flavor, great for shelling and drying, 6-inch yellow and purple pods, 55-60 days to harvest)
• Kentucky Wonder (heirloom, rich flavor, disease-resistant, 7-9 inch green pods, 65 days to harvest)
• Maxibel Haricot Vert (heirloom, earthy flavor, disease-resistant, 6-8 inch green pods, 50-60 days to harvest)

When to Plant Bush Beans Outdoors

Timing is essential for planting bush beans from seed. If they get sown too early, the seeds may not germinate in the cold, damp soil. If you’re growing a fall crop of bush beans, choose a fast-growing cultivar and plant them at least two months before your first autumn frost.

In late winter or early spring, cover your garden bed with several inches of organic compost or dark-colored mulch to warm the soil before planting seeds. Sow bean seeds after your area’s typical last frost date or whenever the soil temperature is consistently over 48℉. If the average mid-summer temperature in your region is over 85℉, look for heat-tolerant bean varieties.

Most types of bush beans produce heavily for two to three weeks. The plants may flower again for a smaller second harvest. To have a continuous supply of fresh green beans throughout the growing season, try succession planting bean seeds every couple of weeks. Keep in mind that succession planting affects how far apart to plant bush beans. When using this technique, leave double the space between plants.

Optimal Growing Conditions for Bush Beans

Bush bean plants grow best in full sun, meaning six or more hours of direct light throughout the day. Although pole beans tolerate partial shade and cooler temperatures, bush beans are better suited to warm, sunny climates. Their ideal temperature range is 65-85℉.

Be sure to water your bush beans regularly, giving them approximately two inches of water per square foot weekly. It’s equally important not to overwater since bean plants are sometimes susceptible to fungal diseases, such as anthracnose and powdery mildew.

Beans aren’t heavy feeders and don’t typically require additional fertilizer. Adding organic compost or composted manure to your garden soil every few years is usually sufficient.

Since they have shallow root systems, bean plants tend to suffer when competing with weeds for space, nutrients, and water. Be careful when weeding to avoid damaging their sensitive roots. Use organic materials like bark chips, grass clippings, leaves, or pine needles as mulch to suppress weed growth, retain moisture, and insulate the earth.

During particularly hot weather, bean plants sometimes drop their flowers to conserve energy. Give them extra shade using a row cover or shade cloth and maintain consistently moist soil.

How to Harvest Bush Beans

There are two primary methods for harvesting your homegrown beans. If you prefer tender green beans, pick them before their seeds fully develop. The pods should be about as thick as a pencil.

Or, wait until the beans have fully matured to harvest shelling beans. They’re ready to pick roughly six weeks after the green bean stage. Make sure to gather all of your bean pods before the first autumn frost.

Refrigerate your unwashed green beans in an airtight container for up to four days. To extend their shelf life, try freezing the fresh bean pods. There’s no need for blanching.

Remove the outer shell from mature beans when using them fresh. To dry them for long-term storage, allow them to fully dry on the vine if the weather allows. Or, pull the entire plant up and hang it upside down in a dry, cool location. Keep dried beans in an airtight container at approximately 70℉.

Resolving Common Pest Issues

Although bean plants are usually low-maintenance, they’re sometimes affected by a few pest and disease problems. Plants are far more susceptible to damage from insects and pathogens when they’re stressed. Getting adequate amounts of light, water, and nutrients is their best protection.

Aphids, spider mites, and Mexican bean beetles are some of the most commonplace pests for bean plants. To eliminate an aphid or spider mite infestation, spray all sides of the plant with an organic insecticide like neem oil, horticultural oil, or insecticidal soap.

Diatomaceous earth, or DE, kills Mexican bean beetles, which look similar to yellow ladybugs. Sprinkle the white powder on the leaf surfaces and around the base of the plant every few days, and reapply after rain. Companion plants that repel Mexican bean beetles include garlic, marigolds, nasturtiums, rosemary, and savory.

P​lant Diseases That Affect Bean Plants

Powdery mildew, mosaic virus, and anthracnose are the most prevalent fungal diseases that affect bean crops. Powdery mildew looks like a white fuzzy coating on leaves and stems. Anthracnose presents with dark lesions on the leaves and eventually distorts the bean pods. Mosaic virus causes a bright yellow mottled pattern on the leaves, which soon start curling and puckering.

These fungal diseases can spread via splashing water droplets, insect activity, and contaminated hands or gardening tools. Maintain adequate airflow between plants, try not to wet the leaves when watering, and always sanitize your tools between uses.

Treat powdery mildew and anthracnose with an organic copper fungicide. Unfortunately, there is no known treatment for mosaic virus. Remove any affected plants immediately. This article from the University of Minnesota Extension has excellent information about pest and disease control for bean plants.

Bush beans are a perfect veggie crop for beginner gardeners and experienced green thumbs alike, thanks to their versatility and ease of care. You’ll have a bumper crop of tasty green beans all season long by following a few practical gardening strategies, such as adding compost and organic matter to your garden soil and using mulch to suppress weeds, retain soil moisture, and insulate the ground.

Do you have any questions or recommendations about planting bush beans? Please share them in the comments! If you enjoyed learning how to plant bush beans, please share these gardening tips with your fellow plant lovers.