How to Grow Bush Beans

9 Shares

Last year, I purchased bush bean seeds and planted them under a trellis, then was surprised when the plants didn’t grow vertically. I didn’t realize that there are two types of bean plants: bush and pole. At the point in the season that I realized my error, I had lovely plants that produced beans abundantly, so I didn’t want to rip them out or attempt to move them to a different bed away from the trellis. This year, I was determined to grow bush beans the right way.

Over the past few years, I have slowly built my vegetable and herb garden using Vego raised beds. In this post, I create a new bed to grow bush beans and some of its companion plants. Keep reading to learn my method, and revisit a few of my former gardening adventures.

Planning the Garden

A few years ago, I decided to focus on growing the produce that my family normally buys most from the grocery store. Included in that list are green beans. I could eat them at every meal, and like them fixed just about every way (boiled, steamed, microwaved, battered and fried – you get my drift). Initially I ordered fancy beans, but we wound up not gobbling them up like I’d anticipated. So, last year I went back to basics and picked up a simple green bean seed packet at my local Walmart.

Last year's bush beans — *Last year’s bush beans*

This year, as I had a few seeds left from the previous summer, I knew that I wanted to grow more of these beans. But, I would plant them in a more appropriate location. I love our Vego raised garden beds, and knew that they also come in a 32-inch height option.

So, I bought pole bean seeds for my trellis bed, and clicked “buy” on this Vego bed.

Creating the Raised Bed

To create the new raised bed for my bush beans, my husband and I followed the company’s instructions fora assembly. Two people working together is definitely advantageous for this task.

To fill the new bed, I followed the same method as I’ve used previously. We are going into our fourth season using these beds; our veggies have grown and produced well, so I am happy with this method. We simply turn over the top layer at the end of spring, and add a little more garden soil, as the soil settles when the bottom layers decompose.

Raised bed steps — *Filling the raised bed*

Planting Bush Beans

This year, I did my research. I am looking forward to picking beans at waist-level, instead of stooping over. Also, I didn’t need a trellis for this version of beans, so these will be planted more appropriately. In order to really pay attention and maximize my output, I did a little digging before planting my seeds. A few things I learned:

Pay attention to soil temperature. Wait until your soil is at least 65°F before planting warm season veggies. Check the soil about 2-inches deep, mid-morning. I used an old meat thermometer to learn my soil temp.

Check for good companion plants in same bed. A simple Google search will tell you what to plant, and what to avoid planting, with bush beans. From the list of good companions, I selected marigolds, nasturtium (for deterring beetles), two types of squash (they benefit from the nitrogen that beans add to the soil), kohlrabi (it loves both the nitrogen-enhanced soil and shade from the bean plants), basil (deters a variety of common bean pests) and arugula (its flowers attract bugs that eat common bean pests). A note: kohlrabi and arugula aren’t generally good companion plants. I’m hoping the amount of space between them in the bed will keep any issues from arising; but, like anything in gardening, I will learn as things grow (or don’t grow) and change course as needed.

Soak the beans. This step isn’t necessary, but soaking the beans in warm water overnight prior to planting can speed up germination and increase yields.
Photograph your plant layout. This helps me remember what I planted, where. I don’t always recognize plant starts, especially new types that I’m trying for the first time, which can make it tricky to weed in the early stages.

Bean There, Done That

It’s been a week-and-a-half since I planted, and quite a few plants have already popped up. Alas, only two of my bean seeds germinated. I planted more beans and crossed my fingers. Here’s hoping that I will be picking scads of green beans (without bending over) this summer.

Read more about how I saved money filling my raised beds. And, how I made my own garden arch trellis for them and even mushroom garden markers using vintage shoe trees.

Pin9