Preserving your harvest
Canning and freezing are the most common ways to preserve garden vegetables, but it’s important to follow the correct steps to preserve quality and taste, and to promote food safety.
Read More
One of the easiest vegetables to grow is beans. Beans are a member of the Fabaceae (Leguminosae) commonly known as the legume or pea family, which includes the edible crops of peas, soybeans, chickpeas, alfalfa and peanuts to name a few.
Green beans are called green not due to their color but because they are picked when they are immature. Any young bean may be called green.
Beans grow best in full sun with well drained, fertile soils. They do not grow well with wet roots. Beans should be planted after all danger of frost and the soil has warmed up (+65 degrees). Planting early where the soil temperatures are 50 degrees or less may result in poor germination.
Growing habits of beans
Bush beans: Bush beans are just that; they grow on a bush. They grow as a mound and do not need to be staked or grown next to a trellis. Growing to only about 1 to 2 feet tall, the harvester will have to bend over to pick them which can be a problem. Bush beans are planted by seeds. Sow them about ½ to 1 inch deep and 3 to 4 inches apart. Leave 18 to 24 inches between rows so they are wide enough for the gardener to get through and harvest.
Recommended varieties of bush beans:
* Bush-green: Blue Lake 274, Kentucky Wonder bush, Festiva, Burpee Tender Pod, Tendergreen, Tendercrop, Provider, Bush Romano, Derby and Espada.
* Bush-wax: Carson, Goldcrop, Sungold. (Wax beans are a type of snap bean that are yellow in color but also have a waxy pod.)
* Bush-purple-pod: Royal Burgundy (color will wash out during cooking and leave a green pod)
Pole beans: Pole beans are a vine, growing with tendrils they need to be staked or grown on a trellis. These vines may grow to 7 or 8 feet tall; making harvest is a bit easier due to the beans being higher off the ground than bush beans. Pole beans usually have a longer harvest period than bush beans with a higher rate of production. Pole beans should be planted 4 to 6 inches apart with 3 feet between rows so that the entire plant gets sunshine. Place the trellis or cage when the seeds are planted so that beans may start to climb immediately.
Recommended varieties of pole beans:
* Pole-green: Fortex, Kentucky Wonder, Kentucky Blue, Blue Lake, and Northeaster, Romano.
* Yard Long: (16-20inch beans) Gita and Red Noodle
Half runner beans: Half runner beans grow to a height between that of bush and pole beans. Growing to about 3 feet taller than a bush, but shorter than a pole bean, half runner beans can be grown like a bush bean but trellising seems to increase the production of these plants.
Recommended varieties of half runner beans:
* White Half Runner, Pink Half Runner, and State Half Runner
For continuous harvest plant seeds every two to three weeks through mid-July. Read the seed package to determine the days to harvest and count backward from your area’s frost date to get a plant-by date. Harvesting regularly, daily or every two days, will keep the plants producing.
Other care tips
- Beans need about 1 inch of water a week.
- Keep the garden weeded by hand pulling or shallow cultivation, this is particularly important the first 6 weeks after planting.
- Green beans should be picked when the seeds are about ¼ of full size, so make sure to remember the size of the seeds you planted. Seeds should not be bulging in the pod and the pods should be tender and break easily with a snap.
Beans as a vegetable garden crop are easy to grow with minimal care necessary for upkeep. They are a good crop for kids as the beans grow fairly quickly and the beans are fun to harvest. Green beans can be a tasty raw snack or eaten as a side dish at meal time.
Barbara Arnold is senior horticulturalist at Franklin Park Conservatory.
My first recommendation in your journey is to start out with a local farming friend or mentor along with joining an organization like Ohio Farm Bureau.
We’re just so thankful for the Farm Bureau and the foundation for helping put this together. And of course, the Boyert family for the vision they had with this grant. It’s jumping us forward 10 years. It’s unbelievable.
I could not have done it without the resources I have found through Farm Bureau.
It wasn’t until I joined the Wilmington College Collegiate Farm Bureau that I truly saw how my passion could translate into leadership, advocacy and a career.
The issue of property taxation remains as one of the biggest challenges our members face today. Ensuring agricultural property is valued for its agricultural potential and not development is critical to the continued success of Ohio agriculture.
Through the Select Partner program, we became educated in farm insurance and weren't just selling policies. It became more and more clear why farmers need an advocate like Ohio Farm Bureau.
So many of the issues that OFBF and its members are advocating for are important to all Ohioans. I look at OFBF as an agricultural watchdog advocating for farmers and rural communities across Ohio.
Featured Articles
Don’t forget to water your plants during the heat
As a general rule of thumb, an inch of rain each week during the summer is needed for most plants.
Read More
Save time on autumn garden chores
Sometimes the best course of action is nothing at all. Leave the leaves, forget the garden, and compost the decorations.
Read More
Growing a thriving garden in a challenging season
If you have any questions about your gardens, OSU Extension and the Trumbull County Master Gardener Volunteers are here to assist.
Read More
Saving blooms from hot then cold temperatures
Weather patterns like we are experiencing this year increase the risk of loss for fruit and ornamental crops.
Read More
Growing into a Groovy horticulture destination
Groovy Plants Ranch is a retail store and tourist mecca with a huge emphasis on unique and unusual plants.
Read More
To rake, or not to rake, fall leaves
Whatever method you choose, understand there is no right way or wrong way to handle leaves each fall.
Read More
Brannon farm changes gears during pandemic
Hard work, dedication and concern for others aren’t quaint concepts at Olde Tyme Farms. These principles helped the 20-acre chicken,…
Read More
Heirloom plants for the garden
Gold pocket watches, delicate china and heavenly scented flowers are among the heirlooms passed along from one generation to the…
Read More
Memorial Day busy for greenhouses, nurseries
A buzz of activity surrounds the lead-up to Memorial Day for nurseries and greenhouses, like bees hovering around the bright…
Read More