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Growing Information:  Most commonly cultivated beans (Phaseolus) have an American heritage. The origin of the plant lies somewhere near Guatemala but migration throughout North and South America had occurred before Europeans arrived. In fact, beans were almost as universally cultivated as maize by the native people.

Beans prefer rich soil in a sunny location. Make sure that you keep them watered deeply in the heat of the summer.  Soaking is preferred to using overhead sprinklers.

Don’t bother trying to get an early start with beans – you’ll waste a lot of seed!  Beans are fairly fragile and you should not sow them until all frost danger has passed and the soil remains above 65ºF.

In the words of the botanist Liberty Hyde Bailey, "No vegetable seed decays quicker than beans, and the delay caused by waiting for the ground to become warm and free from excessive moisture will be more than made up by the rapidity of growth when finally they are planted."

Plant seeds 1½ inches deep, every 2 to 3 inches in rows 24 inches apart.  Cultivate frequently and shallow until flowers appear. After they begin to flower, be careful not to disturb the roots as it can cause the blossoms to drop.

Bush-type beans will require little of no support while climbing varieties will require some structure.  See below for trellising ideas.

Harvest fresh green, snap beans when the have reached a desirable pod size.  At this young stage they are tender and tasty.  Do not wait too long as they become fibrous and stringy.  A ten-foot row of pole beans should provide the average family of three or four with fresh beans about twice a week through the season.

If you are raising dry beans, it is always best to allow them to remain on the plant until the pods are brittle and snap open easily. However, if you live in an area with a shorter growing season, harvest as close to dry as you can and finish drying indoors.  Freezing temperatures and rain will damage the beans.

[ Click here for basic seed saving tips ]

June 20, 2002

In my father's childhood in the 40s and 50s, spending summers picking berries and beans was the major source of income for many school kids.

August 11, 2002

The beans produced were almost exclusively pole-type varieties grown of trellising systems similar to the one illustrated in these photographs.

The system is simple but time consuming to erect and remove every spring and fall.  One note, these poles are 8eight footers.  Using ten foot poles would be beneficial.

June 20, 2002

August 11, 2002

Since our work is with the preservation of heirloom and old varieties and not snap bean production, we still are very interested in pole beans.  They are still very valid home garden types as they produce over a longer period and typically take less space.

We therefore use the string trellising method for larger scale growing. This is accomplished by using eight or ten foot steel t-posts on the ends of the rows with wire stretched between them at the top and bottom.  Additional t-posts are used in between the end poles to help support the wires as necessary.  Heavy string or twine is laced between the top and bottom wires.  The beans then wrap themselves around the string as they grow upwards.

We use biodegradable, natural fiber twine.  This is removed with the expended vines in the late fall after we harvest the seeds.  Wires and pole are removed and stored, a cover crop planted, and the system is installed in a different location the following year.

Although this methods has its roots in the commercial bean fields of the past, it is quite easily adapted to the home garden.  The poles, wire and twine are available at farm, garden and home supply stores and the poles and wire will last for years.