How to Grow and Care for Common Beans

The common bean plant (Phaseolus vulgaris), also known as a green bean plant, includes an enormous number of varieties of pod/snap beans that have edible pods, but also shell beans and dry beans, in which the inner seeds are removed from inedible pods before they are prepared and eaten. Most home gardeners will be raising the pod/snap type, which includes both pole bean varieties that grow long vines as well as low-growing bush beans. Most varieties of pod/snap beans are green, but there are also purple, red, yellow, and streaked beans. Common beans are several inches long and either round or flattened in shape.

Green Beans: How to Grow It

General Description: Snap beans, also called “green beans” or “string beans” (although most modern varieties do not have strings) are harvested when the pods contain immature seeds, and the pods are still succulent.

Types: Snap beans can have green, purple or yellow (wax beans) pods, and can include both the rounded and the flat-types (romano).

Growth Habits: Bean growth habits include bush beans, pole beans, and half-runners (shorter than pole beans). Pole beans are twining vines growing up to six feet and sometimes taller that must be supported. Pole beans flower continuously, producing new pods all through the season, while bush beans tend to produce all their pods within one to three weeks.

Fun Fact: Records of growing and eating beans have been found in Egyptian tombs and in the Old Testament.

Planting

Sowing: Plant the seed directly into the garden once the danger of frost is past and the soil is thoroughly warm. Choose a site within the garden that did not have beans growing in it the previous year. Plant about 1-inch deep and 2-to-4 inches apart within the row for bush beans. In drier areas of the state, they may be planted in double-rows with the rows 6 inches apart. Pole beans should be planted 4-to-6 inches apart (or 4-to-6 seed in hills spaced 3 feet apart) and should be provided with a trellis for the plant to grow onto. If you have not grown beans for the past few years, using a Rhizobium inoculant on the seed can increase yield.

Timeline: Plant beans after the chance of frost has passed (Figure 2). Days to harvest range from 50 to 70 days.

Trellising: Pole bean supports should be put in place at planting time. Make a simple trellis of six-foot stakes and twine, or set up a teepee of bamboo poles or long branches. Plant seeds in a row in front of the trellis, or in a circle around a teepee trellis.

Watering: Keep the soil moist but not soggy; allow the soil surface to dry up to a half-inch deep between waterings. On average beans will require about 1 inch of water per week. Be sure that beans are kept moist during and after bloom, to get the best yield and well-shaped pods.

Mulching: Mulching can help keep the soil evenly moist, as well as decrease weeds.

Weeding: Frequent, shallow cultivation will kill weeds before they become a problem. Beans have shallow roots, so do not hoe deeply.

Fertilizing: Beans are a legume, and do not need extra nitrogen fertilizer.

Pests and Diseases

Major Pests

• Cutworms: Cutworms chew stems at the soil line, leaving the severed tops uneaten.
• Bean Leaf Beetles: Bean leaf beetles feed on leaves, especially young tender ones (Figure 3-A). Feeding on seedlings is especially damaging and can kill plants. For more information, view Watch for Bean Leaf Beetles.

Major Diseases

• Root-Rotting Pathogens: The plants begin to brown and die from the soil up, and eventually collapse.
• Leaf Spot Diseases: Anthracnose, rust and bacterial lead spot diseases (Figure 3-B). More common in plantings with poor air circulation or overly dense rows. Not planting beans in the same spot from year to year can help reduce these diseases.

Minor Diseases

• Powdery Mildew and Downy Mildew: Disease common in hot weather. Leaves and pods can become covered in a whitish mold.
• Viruses: Viruses spread from one plant to another by insects. They can cause unusual coloring and strangely puckered leaves.

Harvest

Harvest: Snap beans can be picked at any stage of pod formation until the shape of the individual seeds inside becomes apparent, causing the pods to bulge. After this stage, the pods are typically less juicy and more fibrous. However, the pods can be picked at this more advanced stage and shelled to use the soft fresh bean seeds. Pick beans after the dew is off the plants, and they are thoroughly dry. Picking beans from wet plants can spread bean bacterial blight, a disease that seriously damages the plants. Be careful not to break the stems or branches, which are brittle on most bean varieties. After the last harvest, remove all plants from the garden, to decrease future disease problems.

Average Yield: 3 to 4 pounds per 10-foot row.

Storage and Preparation

Storage: Store beans in a relatively cool and humid place, ideally with temperatures around 45°F. They can tolerate a few days in the refrigerator, but then will develop watersoaked spots or browning.

Cooking Tips: Green beans are delicious when lightly blanched (cooked just long enough for them to darken their color). For more details see the Pick it! Try it! Like it! Preserve it! Green Beans page.

Nutrition Facts: High in protein, low in calories, high in fiber, low in fat and high in Vitamin B.

How to Grow and Care for Common Beans

Marie Iannotti is a life-long gardener and a veteran Master Gardener with nearly three decades of experience. She’s also an author of three gardening books, a plant photographer, public speaker, and a former Cornell Cooperative Extension Horticulture Educator. Marie’s garden writing has been featured in newspapers and magazines nationwide and she has been interviewed for Martha Stewart Radio, National Public Radio, and numerous articles.

Julie Thompson-Adolf is a Master Gardener and author with over 30 years of experience in year-round organic gardening; seed starting, growing heirlooms, and sustainable farming.

The common bean plant (Phaseolus vulgaris), also known as a green bean plant, includes an enormous number of varieties of pod/snap beans that have edible pods, but also shell beans and dry beans, in which the inner seeds are removed from inedible pods before they are prepared and eaten. Most home gardeners will be raising the pod/snap type, which includes both pole bean varieties that grow long vines as well as low-growing bush beans. Most varieties of pod/snap beans are green, but there are also purple, red, yellow, and streaked beans. Common beans are several inches long and either round or flattened in shape.

Bean plants are annual vegetables that grow quickly and are best planted in the spring. The flowers appear about two months after planting. Harvest time varies greatly, depending on the type of bean. Note that the seeds of raw or undercooked beans can be toxic to people and animals.

Types of Common Beans

In the most popular pod/snap category, there are several types of common beans, including:

• ‘Kentucky Wonder’: This old pole variety of string bean is prized for its flavor.
• ‘Bountiful’: This is an early-producing, stringless heirloom bush bean.
• ‘Golden Wax Bean’: This is a soft-textured, yellow bush bean.
• ‘Royal Burgundy’: An early-producing bush bean, it has purple pods that turn green when cooked.
• ‘Romano’: This classic broad, Italian-style, bush or pole bean has a meaty flavor.

Pod/Snap Beans vs. Shell Beans vs. Dry Beans

The various varieties of Phaseolus vulgaris are categorized into three types:

• Pod/snap beans: These are the most popular beans for most gardeners, comprising both low-growing bush beans and tall pole beans in which the entire pods are prepared and consumed whole—outer pod as well as inner seeds. This group represents what most people think of as green bean plants. Bush varieties typically grow 18 to 30 inches tall and are self-supporting, while pole varieties have vines that can climb or sprawl as much as 15 feet.
• Shell beans: With this type, the pod is not eaten, but rather the beans are removed from the pod as they approach maturity. The beans are prepared and eaten while still soft.
• Dry beans: Including kidney beans, white beans, yellow beans, navy beans, and pinto beans, the varieties in this group are generally shelled and stored dry or canned for later use.

It’s important to distinguish between these types of beans, as it will dictate how you prepare and eat them. Make sure to buy a variety that fits your expectations.

Harvesting Common Beans

Harvesting beans is an ongoing task, and the more you pick, the more beans the plants will set. You can start to harvest anytime after the beans form. Gardeners usually harvest the beans when the pods are young and tender, about the size of a small pencil. The inner seeds should not yet be visible through the pods. Overly mature beans, where the inner seeds can be seen bulging through the walls of the pod, can be tough and stringy.

In general, bush beans are ready to pick in 50 to 55 days after planting. Pole beans will take 55 to 65 days, depending on the variety. Check the packet to be sure your choice will have time to mature in your growing season. Harvest by gently pulling each bean from the vine or by snapping them off at the vine end. Be careful not to damage the plant when harvesting. You can cook the beans right away or blanch and freeze them. They can keep in the freezer for up to a year.

How to Grow Common Beans in Pots

Growing beans in a container can be helpful, especially when it comes time to regularly harvest your crop. As long as the container gets enough sunlight, you can place it in a spot that’s convenient for you to visit regularly.

Choose one of the smaller bean varieties if you wish to grow them in containers, and be sure to give pole beans a support structure on which to grow. Aim for a container that is at least 1 foot deep with ample drainage holes. An unglazed clay container is ideal because it will allow excess soil moisture to evaporate through its walls. Wood barrels also can make good planters.

Pruning

No pruning is necessary for common beans, other than pulling the plants from the ground as cold weather sets in. These are annual plants that do not return the following spring. Allow the beans to continue to grow as long as possible, as these legumes actually improve the soil by absorbing nitrogen from the air and fixing it in the soil. Some gardeners like to rotate the planting location of legume species like beans and peas around the garden to take advantage of this soil-improving property.

Propagating Common Beans

Bean plants are propagated via seed. Because the plants are annuals, this is an inexpensive way to ensure you have new plants each year. Here’s how to save the seeds:

1. Harvest seed pods from a healthy bean plant once the pods have dried and become brittle.
2. Break open the pods to release the seeds.
3. Store the seeds in a dark, dry, cool spot within an airtight container. They should be viable for three to four years and can be planted in the spring after the threat of frost has passed.

Be aware, however, that only non-hybrid, open-pollinated plants will produce seeds that grow into plants identical to the parents. If you try this with hybrid varieties, you are likely to be disappointed with plants that do not have the same characteristics as the parent plant.

How to Grow Common Beans From Seed

Bean seeds are generally direct sown in the garden, as they dislike being transplanted. Their roots are shallow and easily damaged. If you want to start beans inside, plant them in biodegradable pots or soil blocks that can be planted into the garden once the weather has warmed.

Potting and Repotting Common Beans

A quality potting mix that’s labeled for vegetables is usually ideal for growing beans. As long as you plant in a large enough container, you won’t have to repot these annuals and disturb their roots during the growing season.

Common Pests and Plant Diseases

Several animal pests love bean plants, including:

• Mexican bean beetles will eat the flowers, the beans, and especially the leaves.
• Spider mites pierce the leaf surface and suck the sap, often causing leaves to die.
• Japanese beetles and aphids may also attack bean plants.
• Bean leaf beetles can girdle the stems near the soil line and chew holes in the plant’s leaves.
• Deer and groundhogs will eat entire bean plants, and fencing is necessary to stop them if they are prevalent in your area.

Fungal diseases, such as Alternaria leaf spot, can be a problem in damp conditions. Other diseases, including white mold, bean rust, and mosaic virus, can also affect bean plants. Help prevent diseases by keeping the vines dry. Also, don’t overcrowd the plants, and provide plenty of air circulation. You can look for plant varieties that are bred for disease resistance.