How to Grow Beans

Beans are classified as legumes and are renowned for being a highly nutritious food. Packed with protein, fibre, folate, antioxidants, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, and vitamins B1, B6, E, and K. They are a low calorie food that is associated with heart health, stabilising blood glucose levels, preventing fatty liver, controlling appetite, improving gut health, strengthening bones, and even preventing cancer!

They are a relatively easy crop to grow and can be preserved in a number of ways, making them a great beginner gardener option.

When to grow beans

With so many varieties to choose from, it’s best to check your seed packets for when the best time to plant is for you. Some varieties can be grown year round in warmer climates. They tend to not like the frost too much so if you are in a cooler climate, you’ll want to wait until your last frost has been and gone before planting your beans.

Bean varieties

There are an estimated 400 types of beans that are grown all around the world. It might take a while to try them all so we’ve narrowed down a few popular options you might like to try first:

· Blue Lake Climbing beans – a classic green bean that is prolific and grows easily

· Winged beans/Asparagus Pea – a unique looking frilled bean that is great steamed or used in stir fries. You can also eat the leaves and roots of the plant

· Broad beans/Fava beans – Large beans that can be eaten raw in salads or cooked as a vegetable

· Kidney beans – Red beans shaped like a kidney that are commonly used in baked beans or Mexican dishes. Beans cannot be eaten raw

· Madagascar/Lima beans – a climbing perennial variety that is great in soups and casseroles

· Dwarf/Bush beans – a small yet prolific plant – perfect for patios or small growing areas

How to grow beans from seeds

Ensuring you have a quality soil rich in organic matter such as compost or chicken manure and a good mulch to stop the soil drying out will make all the difference for your beans.

Most bean varieties grow very quickly so generally, direct sowing is the ideal way to go however, you may prefer to plant out some varieties in seedling pots or trays first.

Raised garden beds are perfect for growing beans in – it ensures good drainage, and you can fill them with quality soil. Birdies garden beds [use code SSMEbird for a 5% discount] are Mark’s raised beds of choice.

For climbing varieties, you will definitely want some form of trellising to avoid it becoming a tangled mess on top of your garden bed. A couple of star pickets or solid stakes and some string will do just fine.

If planting a bush-style bean plant, it’s a good idea to plant them around the outside of your garden bed so they can hang over the outside, making it easier for you to harvest and helping to avoid beans rotting due to sitting on the soil.

Sow the seeds around 20mm or around an inch deep and around 100mm or 4 inches apart and cover them over with soil before giving them a light water. Continue to water frequently to keep the soil moist but not wet.

Germination can sometimes be a bit hit and miss with beans so don’t be afraid to plant more than you’ll need.

Seedlings will begin to emerge around 7-10 days after planting.

How to grow beans from seedlings

To grow beans from seedlings, you still want to ensure that your soil is right and pick a good location as mentioned above.

Plant out each seedling 100mm or 4 inches apart for best results. It’s your choice whether you plant them in the clusters or prick them out and plant each one individually. The ideal time to do this is very late in the afternoon or first thing in the morning to give your plant an opportunity to get established without being blasted with the hot sun immediately. Lightly water the seedling in with a seaweed solution such as the Plant Doctor’s Seaweed Secrets (use SSME10 for 10% off your order) to minimise transplant shock.

Beans don’t require too much water, in fact, it can be easy to overwater – especially while the plant is young. Use the soil moisture as a guide – if it’s dry, give it a water. Otherwise, if your plant is looking a little wilted, that’s a good sign it may need water again.

How long do beans take to grow?

Every variety is slightly different however, many varieties reach full maturity in 55-60 days. This makes them a fantastic crop to grow as they will be productive and produce plenty of beans over several months if you plant early in the season.

When to harvest beans

When to harvest your beans really depends on the type of bean. Some beans need to be dried in order to eat them such as kidney beans. These beans are best to leave on the plant to completely dry if you can (be careful if you do get summer rains as this may make your beans go mouldy). Other beans that are eaten fresh can be harvested as soon as they are plump but before you can see the beans fully swollen inside the pod.

With fresh beans, avoid leaving them on the plant too long as they may become bitter and stringy which will make them unpleasant to eat.

Keep in mind that the more you pick the beans, the more the plant will grow!

If you leave beans to dry out fully, you can use the beans inside the pods to plant next year’s crop or keep them to use in soups and stews.

Bean pests and diseases and how to control them organically

Spider Mites

Spider mites are tiny insects that live in on the undersides of leaves where they feed off plant cells and spin fine protective silk webs. They can be very difficult to see as they are so small and will likely spot the damage they are doing to your plant first. Look for yellowing foliage or leaves with yellow spotting. Controlling your infestation could be as simple as using a high-pressure hose nozzle and spraying them off the plant and keep misting your leaves regularly as spider mites like hot, dry environments. There are a number of different home remedies that you can try too including soapy water with cooking oil, lemon juice and water, alcohol and water, or pepper spray with garlic and onion. A quick google search will give you the ratios you’ll need for each one. Alternatively, neem oil is another option to help rid your plants of spider mites.

Caterpillars

Caterpillars love beans (especially the green ones) and can be a nuisance. Planting flowers that attract beneficial insects such as parasitic wasps can be very helpful in reducing caterpillar numbers. Other ways to deal with caterpillars may include a mixture of garlic, molasses, dish soap and water, neem oil, baking soda and vegetable oil spray, or exclusion netting. Hand picking the caterpillars off can also help. Birds are great at reducing caterpillar numbers too. BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) is a bacteria that kills caterpillars which can be sprayed on the plants (known as Yates Nature’s Way Caterpillar Killer in Australia).

Cutworms

Cutworms are another pest that can affect your beans. These caterpillars are mostly active at night and will chomp through the stems of your seedlings cutting off the top foliage at the soil level. You can head out to the garden at night with a torch and pick off the cutworms one by one to help get rid of them, you can also sprinkle diatomaceous earth around your seedlings which will dehydrate the worms, you can create a “collar” to protect the seedling with toilet rolls/cardboard/paper, or you can even sprinkle cornmeal or coffee grounds around the base of the plants as the cutworms cannot digest it.

Mark’s top tips for growing beans

You can improve the germination of your bean seeds by soaking the seeds in water for 12-24 hours prior to planting.

Beans are a plant that produces its own nitrogen fertiliser so don’t over fertilise the plant or you can kill it with kindness! You may also want to check out Mark’s video “5 Top Tips How to Grow a TON of Dwarf Beans in a Small Raised Garden Bed or Container” for more tips.

Do you have any tips or questions about growing beans? Mark and the Self Sufficient Me team love hearing about your growing success so why not join our forum to let us know how you went growing beans?

If you had some trouble growing beans or simply want to pick Mark’s brain about your self-sufficiency goals or projects, you may want to consider becoming a patreon for exclusive content and email access for less than a restaurant meal each month!