If you are a prolific gardener who loves to have almost everything at their beck and core, growing your own bean plants is one of those things that you will definitely want to engage in.
Beans are leguminous plants and they are common plants among gardeners because of their nutritional benefits and they are known for their ability to enrich those who consume them in a lovely manner.
Beans are rich in protein and they are one of those plants that anyone should have around their home and this plant also matures quickly making it a plant that can be easily handled by almost all gardeners –even starters.
Beans are one of the most common foods in different parts of the world and they are very easy plants to grow and having them around your garden will also be a plus to you as they help improve the aesthetic quality of the garden.
Beans are considered as Nitrogen fixers because of their ability to attract Nitrogen (N) in the air and supply it to the soil; this is enhanced by their symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
Generally, beans are easy-to-grow plants and there are different kinds of beans that you can decide to grow all depending on your need and they are all very easy to propagate as long as you have a detailed and straightforward guideline to follow.
Beans, Phaseolus vulgaris, are self-pollinating plants unlike some other plants and they do not require the presence of other plants to produce seeds and this makes them a plant that requires less effort to grow to maturity.
There are generally two different types of beans and each of these beans has some things that make them similar; of these, their growth habit is of great essence and you must always consider this before deciding on growing a specific type of beans for your need.
Are you a lover of gardening and would love to try growing beans? Do you want to learn more about beans and its peculiarity?
Are you a homeowner and would love to grow beans around your home? If the response to any of these questions is positive then this is the right spot for you to be. In this article, we will take you through the steps involved in growing beans at home.
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Types of Beans
The different kinds of beans that are consumed all over the world fall under these two basic types and they include the Snap beans and Shell beans.
In the following paragraph, we will discuss more about the two different types of beans so you should read further to learn more about them before making the final decision.
Snap beans:
These types of beans are consumed fresh and they are usually eaten inside their pods. This type of beans should not be dried for consumption and they are never recommended for later use.
They are consumed green and fresh. Examples of this include mung beans, adzuki beans, and asparagus beans.
Shell beans:
This type of beans needs to be removed from their shells before being consumed and they can be dried for later use.
These are the most common types of beans because they can be consumed fresh and can as well be stored for later.
They are primarily the most recommended types of beans for gardeners as they would have a lot of plants to save for their own use. Examples of these beans include black-eyed peas, kidney beans, black beans, and fava beans.
NB: both types of beans grow in two styles; pole and bush-styles. Beans that grow in the pole style always need supports as they grow vertically and they won’t perform well without any kind of support.
However, those that grow in the bush style will conveniently stand alone and will certainly perform well.
When is the right time to grow beans?
Before deciding on going through the process of sowing your own beans and caring for it to maturity, you should know the right time to plant your beans.
Beans are plants that grow well under specific environmental conditions and meeting their climatic need is of great essence and this certainly has a big effect on the choice of time when planting of beans should be done.
Beans do not do well in cold and the seeds will get damaged by the cold or freeze if planting is one during such a period.
However, planting beans is recommendable for periods when the soil temperature is between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Planting should be done in spring after the first frost has passed; make sure that the soil temperature has risen during this period of time.
Planting should not be done during early spring as it will still be cold during this period and this can kill the seedlings and prevent germination from taking place.
How to grow Beans
Beans are very easy to grow; just as earlier said you need to decide on your choice of plant to grow and must provide every necessary tool to get the job done.
Note that beans can be grown together – not considering their type since they are not cross-pollinating and will mature alone. Below are the steps involved in growing beans:
Decide on which plant variety to plant:
both the shell and snap type of beans have both pole and bush varieties so you should make the choice of the plant that you want to grow.
If you are growing the pole variety, make sure to make a support system available before planting as this is of great importance.
However, the bush variety will not require any form of support so you have no cause to worry about that. NB: bush varieties take more space than the pole varieties so you should put your available space into consideration.
Site selection:
The choice of space for growing beans must be a favorable one for the proper growth and development of the plant.
Beans will do best in a space that gets partial sunlight and they are flexible plants; having the ability to survive even in shade.
The site of choice must be very rich in nutrient and if the soil is poor, it should be amended by adding compost or aged manure to boost the nutritional quality of the soil. The soil must also be well-draining.
NB: never start your beans indoors; beans develop roots that are not very strong and won’t survive transplanting. Therefore, choosing a site is of great essence.
Prepare the soil:
beans are awesome plants and they have the ability to grow best in soil that is very rich in nutrients and the soil must also drain beautifully well for the best development possible.
Any large mass of soil or clay materials found at the planting site must be broken well and tilled perfectly well. The tilled soil should be mixed with garden compost or manure to improve the nutrient availability of the soil.
NB: bean plants themselves have the ability to fix Nitrogen to the soil and this can be enhanced by adding bacteria inoculant to the planting spot or brushing the seed with it.
Put in place necessary materials:
If you are growing pole varieties, it is important to place the support system for the plants even before planting. You should carefully dig a hole for placing so as to provide support in case of heavy wind or bad weather.
Dig holes:
The holes for planting beans should not be too deep, a depth of 1 inch will work perfectly well. However, if the seed is bigger it mist need to be planted deeper.
However, note that the space between the bush varieties needs to be wider than that of the pole varieties to allow for spread.
Plant the seeds:
The seeds of the beans should be carefully placed in the already dug holes. When planting, avoid sowing more than one seed at a single spot and make sure that the seed you are planting is not broken, shrink, or damaged in any way. Sow a seed per hole and cover with topsoil of 1 – 2 inches high.
Water regularly:
The seeds should be watered regularly to keep the soil moist and ensure germination. Watering should be done at a rate of once in 2 – 3 days and avoid overwatering. Make sure that the plant is supplied with water regularly to maturity.
Mulch the seedlings:
Once the seedlings have begun germination, the next thing to do is to provide mulch to the base of the plant. This will help to prevent moisture loss and can enhance soil nutrients after a long time. An inch of mulch will work perfectly fine.
Fertilize your site:
Beans do require nutrients to perform very well, therefore, it is important to supply your seedlings with fertilizers that have low Nitrogen content. Your bean plants will supply its root with the needed nitrogen for its own development.
Conclusion
Learn to fortify your garden with the best plants possible and make your garden as beautiful as possible with an addition of a legume – beans. Have a great time gardening!
On behalf of the author, thank you so much for taking the time to read this article !
