One of my favorite things to grow: green beans!
Green beans are simple to grow and so delicious
I love that they produce a lot with minimal tending.
So where do we start? You have to start with a good garden set up. The location of your garden, the amount of sunlight per day, the quality of your soil, and water/drainage will all play a crucial part in your gardening success.
Timing is also important! Green beans are a warm weather crop. You might be like me and get excited to plant ALL the things in the spring. However, you want to wait until the chances of frost have past. Your green beans will like a little warmth.
There are two main types of green beans:
Pole beans: a vining plant that will require the support of a trellis or fence so it can grow vertically.
Bush beans: an upright plant that does not need the support of a trellis.
I typically grow bush bean plants because I reserve my vertical growing space for other vining plants like cucumbers and cantaloupe.
There are so many varieties of green beans to grow! The beans pictured above are called “Top Crop Bush Beans.” I also like the white seed variety called “Blue Lake Bush Beans.” I planted them all and didn’t have any to show you! :)
Here’s how to grow and harvest green beans:
Plant your seeds 1 inch deep and about 2-4 inches apart in moist soil. I typically will plant two parallel rows fairly close together to maximize my garden space. You can use two stakes and a piece of twine to help your rows be straight.
Since the seeds are big, I will often let my kids help me with planting green beans.
Gently press down the soil over your seed. Water as needed and then we wait! Green beans typically take 50-60 days from seed to harvest.
As the plants mature, you can bring soil higher around the stems to reinforce them. That is called “hilling.”
When the plants are about 12 inches tall, they will bloom. After a little while, the green beans will form and grow. When they are 4-5 inches long, you harvest them by gently pulling on it! Be careful not to pull too hard and accidentally uproot your whole plant (been there, done that).
Depending on the heat, you want to harvest every few days. Smaller green beans will be more flavorful and tender.
Get ready for some green beans!
That time, it was two big bowls. The beauty of gardening is that you can share if you grow too much of something!
Our favorite way to eat green beans is to simply steam them and add a little butter and salt. They are also delicious in Minestrone soup or cooked in oil and fresh garlic. Our middle son likes to eat them right out of the garden!
Let’s eat colorful and nutritious food!
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