Beans
These vegetables are versatile and easy to grow. There are forms that
grow on vines and forms that grow in bushes, and some are eaten fresh, and
some are dried first. These things make beans one of the garden
favorites.
There are many different varieties of beans, although they usually
fall into two categories: edible-podded, and shell-podded. While the
shell-podded varieties must be allowed to fully mature, and then removed
and cooked separately from the pods, the edible-podded are eaten whole
before they are fully grown. Beans can also be divided into either bush,
or vine growing types. Since there are many different types and forms of
beans, care should be taken in selecting the ones that will benefit you
most.
-Planting: Warm weather is a must for growing beans, and the bush
varieties can be planted successively every two weeks once your garden
soil has warmed up enough. Be sure you plant them in a sunny,
well-drained location. Pole, shell, and lima beans only need to planted
once. Rows of bush beans should be spaced 25 to 30 inches apart, with the
seeds placed 2 to 3 inches apart. Pole beans should be planted in hills 2
to 3 feet apart, with about 5 seeds per pole. Lima bean seeds need to be
planted about 8 inches apart from each other.
-Growing: After pole beans have sprouted, it is best to thin them to 3
plants per pole. Although beans are adaptable to many soil types, they
will benefit from dressings of fertilizer applied when plants are 4 to 6
inches high.
-Harvest: In order to keep the harvests going, none of the beans should
be allowed to mature on the plant, and should be used when they are young
and tender. Shell beans however, should be allowed to mature fully on the
bush. Pods should be picked before there are any visible bulges or
swelling on them. Do not harvest or cultivate beans when they are wet, as
there is a good chance of spreading viral diseases to them that way.
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