Growing French beans - Thrive (2024)

FAQs

Do French beans need a lot of water? ›

Keep watch, too, for black aphids on shoot tips and under leaves – squash them or wash them off with a jet from the hose before they get established. French beans also need plenty of moisture, so water them regularly once they start flowering, especially during dry spells.

While all growing beans need full sun and fertile, well-draining soil for optimal production, too much sun or rather high temps may have an adverse effect on the bean plot. High temperatures during certain parts of the growing season may be one reason for stunted bean plants or bean pods that are too little.

From late April to mid-July: Add the bean seeds to the jar of warm water, and allow to soak for 12 hours. Fill a seed tray or pot with multipurpose compost. Use the dibber to create 5cm (2") deep holes in the compost.

Green beans grow best in soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0, which is a range of slightly acidic to precisely neutral. A soil test will tell you if the soil is where it needs to be and what adjustments to make, if any. Green beans also require full sun — a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight daily.

Choose a sunny spot to grow your beans and prepare the ground by adding plenty of well-rotted garden compost or farmyard manure. A sprinkling of Growmore or chicken manure is a good idea too, French beans like a rich soil.

Caring for climbing beans

Once the beans reach the top of the supporting structure, pinch their tips out to encourage vigorous flowering and heavy cropping. Beans need a lot of moisture to produce a steady crop so water well as and when required.

Beans grow best in slightly acidic to neutral soil, pH between 6 and 7. Clay or silt loams are better for bean production than sandy soils, although good drainage is important. Use well-rotted manure or compost at planting to increase soil organic matter.

Beans grow well in nutritious soils with good drainage. Properly loosen the soil to break up any clay-like structure. Beans are nitrogen-fixing plants; they can make the soil more fertile by drawing nitrogen. Just compost your soil, and you will be good to go to the next planting stage.

Do you need to trim green beans? No matter what color or variety of green or wax bean you end up with, you will need to give them a little trim before eating them. Do this just before you will be using them, as the trimmed ends will quickly dry out and shrivel up.

Beans grow best in temperatures between 50 to 85°F, in full sun. Planting too early when the weather is wet and cooler than 55°F may cause your bean seeds to rot. Sow your bush beans 1 inch deep and 4 to 6 inches apart, with rows 18 to 24 inches apart. Beans have fragile roots, making transplanting them difficult.

How many bean seeds per hole? ›

Drop in two seeds per hole, so they fall about an inch (2cm) apart, and are two inches (5cm) deep. Make the first sowing one week before your last expected frost date, then continue sowing every three or four weeks until midsummer.

Do not plant beans near garlic, onions, chives, leeks, scallions, shallots, peppers, wormwood, fennel, or gladioli. Alliums such as garlic, onions, chives, leeks, scallions, and shallots will stunt the growth of the beans.

Plant Care

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.

Beans, like all other legumes, are perfect for adding nitrogen to the soil. They can easily be planted together with corn, potatoes, celery, cucumber, and soybeans. One of the best things about companion planting is that you can grow brassicas at any time of the year.

Irrigate beans immediately after planting. Keep the seed bed moist, but not soggy, for the first week until germination occurs. Reduce watering to once every three days after the first week. Water as needed after beans become established, usually about twice a week.

During germination, beans require consistent moisture to break dormancy and initiate growth. Too little water, and they won't sprout; too much, and they might rot. Aim for soil that's moist, but not waterlogged.

Sowing and planting French beans

French beans need sun, shelter and a fertile, moisture-retentive soil. They don't do well on heavy clay, so dig in plenty of well-rotted organic matter, such as garden compost, before planting.

Excessive moisture from frequent rains or overwatering can cause root rot. The first indication of root rot is typically yellowing leaves. If you spot yellowing leaves on your bean plants consider whether the weather has been wet or if you've been watering too much.