Joan Hinkemeyer is as crazy about green beans as some gardeners are for homegrown tomatoes. The Denver gardener says nothing compares to the taste of a freshly picked green bean. “They’re better than a chocolate brownie any day.”
Hinkemeyer thinks a bean seed was the first veggie she planted in her family’s garden.
“My family grew everything we ate,” she says. “I probably planted my first bean when I was 3.”
Beans are the perfect vegetable to get children interested in gardening, she says. “The seeds are large enough for a child to grasp and put in the soil.” In addition, beans are some of the easiest vegetables to grow.
Two of Hinkemeyer’s favorite green bean varieties are “Provider” and “Foremost” because they mature in 53 days. “With our short growing season we need to take advantage of every single day,” she says.
Here are some tips for growing beans by the bushel:
Suggested varieties
Green beans, sometimes called snap beans or string beans, are grown either as bush beans or pole beans. Bush beans grow on upright plants, and some are compact enough to grow in large containers.
Pole beans grow on climbing vines that require staking on three-pole teepees or trellises. Pole beans are perfect for those lacking garden space or who prefer to do their harvesting while standing.
There’s a bean for nearly every taste, from rounded pods to flat-podded Italian beans to French filet beans called haricot verts. Beans come in colors, from yellow wax beans to purple, red and streaked beans.
Two popular varieties of bush beans are bush “Kentucky Wonder” and “Derby.” Familiar pole bean varieties include the heirloom “Kentucky Wonder” and “Blue Lake.”
Tips for planting
Select a garden spot that gets at least 6 hours of sun a day. Amend the soil with high-quality compost so it is well-drained.
Plant beans after the last frost date, when the soil has warmed to about 50 degrees and nighttime temperatures are above 55 degrees.
Plant seeds 1/2 to 1 inch deep. Plant successive crops, every two weeks, until early August, to guarantee a fresh crop throughout the season.
Plant bush beans in rows 12-18 inches apart, with 3 to 4 inches between plants.
Put the trellis or support up before planting pole beans. Then plant them 4 to 6 inches apart in rows 30 inches apart or in hills (4 to 6 seeds per hill) 30 inches apart.
Add minimal amounts of fertilizer; beans are legumes and are able to produce their own nitrogen.
Keep seeds and plants moderately moist; beans dislike soggy soil.
Mulch lightly when the seedlings are about 6 inches tall.
Harvesting
Check your beans each day when it’s close to harvest time and pick at regular intervals to keep the plants productive.
Avoid harvesting beans when plants are wet to avoid spreading foliage disease.
Harvest when the bean pods are firm and several inches long, but before the seeds inside are fully developed.
Use scissors to cut off pods to avoid breaking the stems or branches on the plant.
Preserving
Freezing is the easiest way to preserve the summer-fresh flavor of green beans. Pick green beans in their prime. Wash, trim the ends and cut into smaller pieces. Blanch beans in boiling water for three minutes.
Cool beans immediately in ice water for three minutes; drain. Place beans in plastic freezer bags and freeze.
