![]() Scarlet runner beans are a notable exception, in that young seedlings can be transplanted with ease, perhaps because runner beans are perennials at heart. Beans can be transplanted if handled very carefully, but many small roots are invariably broken in the process. Plant beans where you want them to grow.When planting beans in hot, dry soil, plant them in slightly recessed trenches covered with boards to keep them moist until they sprout. Under low oxygen conditions, bean seeds cannot proceed with germination. Soaking peas and many other vegetable seeds in water for a few hours hastens germination, but it has the opposite effect with beans. Weather that is too cool leads to rotting seeds, slow growth and the inability to bounce back from other problems. Beans are uncompromising in the need for warm conditions, above 55☏ (13☌), especially during germination and early growth. Wait for warmth before planting beans.I’ve distilled my knowledge into the list of tips below, so that even the newest gardener can enjoy success with this easy crop. Over the years I have grown twenty or more beans, and I will never end my quest to find ways to grow better beans. In comparison, last year I grew some bush type filet beans that were petite enough to grow in window boxes. Many vigorous bush type varieties of soup bean produce twining stems that twist into a tangle atop the plants if not given a few stakes to keep them heading skyward. There is some gray area regarding the growth habit of beans, too. I like to cook and eat the big, meaty seeds, which is rarely done anywhere except in Central America, the homeland of the species. English gardeners treasure the tender green pods, while American gardeners grow them for their beautiful flowers. Scarlet runner beans provide an excellent example. All green beans eventually mature into soup beans, but various culinary traditions favor one stage over the other. Not that beans can be so neatly sorted into categories. Different Types of BeansĮach year I grow several types of beans, including bush snap beans, pole beans, runner beans (a type of pole bean) and one or two varieties that produce meaty soup beans to eat in winter. ![]() Come to think of it, I have never met a boring bean. Yet beans know many more tricks, which I re-learn each season as I guild my garden with beans. Beans do have a botanic name that rolls easily on the tongue, Phaseolus, and the distinction of being one of the "three sisters" in native American horticulture, wherein long-vined pole beans were (and still are) grown in close company with squash and corn. ![]() Such is the case with beans, an uncomplicated vegetable that lacks the drama of broccoli, the sizzle of peppers, the dripping fleshiness of tomatoes. In the garden as in life, sometimes simple is best.
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