Growing and caring for green beans

Almost everyone likes to enjoy a good plate of green beans to maintain a good diet. Green beans belong to the legume family. When we intend to cultivate them, we have to bear in mind that there are two types. First there are the tender ones with low bush that have erect stems and do not need much care. And then there are those that have tall plants and need more care.

In this article we are going to explain how you should plant green beans and the requirements you need. Do you want to learn about it?

Main requirements

Climate and substrate

When we talk about growing green beans, we have to look at all the variables that affect growth. The first is the weather. If the area where we live frequently has temperatures below 10 degrees, we will reduces the amount of light it is able to receive throughout the day. As you would expect of a plant that needs to photosynthesize, this does not allow it to grow. Therefore, it is necessary that the climate be warmer or more temperate. There may be a frost from time to time, but we can protect them well.

If we plant it in areas with a lot of wind, we must protect them with some fences or something that prevents the continuous flow. They are fragile plants that do not support the incidence of the wind directly for a long time.

Regarding the soil or substrate, they do not do well in soils that are cold or humid. The first thing you think about is maintaining a high humidity level to proliferate the species. However, they cannot live in dry environments either. We have to find a balance so that the plant does not suffer. It is in the irrigation where we make sure that the plant has the degree of humidity that suits it best.

Green beans are favored by softer, well-dug soils. The more humus you have, the more nutrients you can incorporate into the roots. It does not have to have traces of fresh organic matter. When choosing the plot where we will plant it, we will look for the one that has a direct sun location. It is necessary for the soil to warm up for the plant to develop well. This is only achieved if the sun hits the plant directly for several hours or more a day.

Nutrients and irrigation

Despite what you may think, green beans do not need fertilizer. Like the rest of legumes, they are capable of fixing atmospheric nitrogen thanks to nitrifying bacteria that have their roots. This gives a great reproductive advantage and makes its cultivation cheaper. In this way we do not have to give him fertilizer every so often.

One thing we must keep in mind. And it is that they will not need fertilizer as long as the soil in which it is planted is rich in organic matter. If, on the other hand, it is a poor soil, it will be necessary to spread a little organic compost on the ground about a month before sowing. To do this, we must use an organic compost very decomposed (similar to mulch) and mix it with the earth so that it assimilates well.

Regarding irrigation, it is necessary that the soil does not dry out completely, but neither that it is with excess moisture. We will not water it abundantly in the first flowering season, as it could cause the flowers to fall.

How Green Beans Are Grown

Like the rest of the legume family, green beans are grown by direct seeding. They are plants that do not support transplants well and have little survival success.

Sowing must be done when soil temperatures are above 8-10 degrees. In this way we will be avoiding the cold of winter. For this, the best time is at the beginning of May to make sure that the cold does not affect them. In warmer areas with higher temperatures we can sow them in March.

Now, we make a separation of the type of crop depending on the type of bean that we are sowing:

• Low-grade beans: they are usually sown in lines or furrows spaced about 40-50cm, placing four to five seeds, burying them about 2 or 3cm in successive holes 30 to 40cm apart.
• Enrame beans or high kill: They require separations between lines or grooves of 60 to 75cm to facilitate their development and maintain adequate ventilation. Regarding the number of seeds and their disposition, it is the same as the low bush beans.

We remember that green beans are plants that, in general, are very fragile. Therefore, it is advisable to place a padding, if possible organic, to control weeds and keep the soil aerated and moist.

Low-grade beans do not need guardians (reeds or sticks) but the tall ones do. The latter grow by coiling around rigid elements that are close to each other. To correct this, guard posts about 2 meters high are placed so that they go up them.

The most common structure to place the tutors is the pyramidal. It is achieved by joining the reeds of two lines, tilting them and tying them in the center.

Pests, diseases and harvest

Green beans have some pests and diseases from which they can be attacked. The first is the black and green aphid. To relieve it, potassium soap is applied together with neem oil.

The second plague is that of red spider that appears when there is lack of irrigation. Perhaps the most important is that of the powdery mildew, since it is the one that arises when there is excess humidity. It may happen that we have watered and it rains again, accumulating excess moisture and waterlogging. To remove it it is enough to have a good aeration.

For the harvest we have to wait about two or three months until the harvest. If we want to obtain a dry bean, we will have to wait another month. The plant is fragile, so we will try not to damage the most tender branches, pods and flowers when we harvest. To maintain good production, it is advisable to irrigate copiously after harvest.

With these tips you can grow your own green beans.