Bountiful Beans
General Info:
Beans are members of the
legume family. Legumes are "givers"
- an essential element of good crop rotations - as their roots have a symbiotic
relationship with microbes that help fix nitrogen. All varieties prefer a non-acid soil (pH 6.0-7.5) with
plenty of organic matter.
Seeds: Come in a range of shapes
and sizes from small roundish shell beans to large flat fava beans. Seeds store for 2 years and germinate
in 7 -14 days.
Varieties: Beans fall into the
following types, each of which has many different varieties:
- Fava or Broad - a cool loving legume that sets upward
pointing pods with strong tasting beans
-
Runner - a medium temperature, heavy cropping pole bean
grown for its long crisp pods, mainly in the UK
-
Bush, Snap or French - the commonest type of low-growing heat-loving
bean with green, purple or yellow pods
-
Dried Bean - similar to the bush bean but grown for the
beans which are allowed to mature and dry in the pod
-
Pole or Climbing- many different varieties that grow up to
10' high with round or flat beans of different colors - heat-loving
-
Lima or Butter - bush or pole varieties that have large
flat soft buttery-tasting beans - heat-loving
-
Soybean or Edamame - heat-loving Asian bean grown
to eat cooked straight from the pod or as dried soybeans
Indoor Sowing:
Most beans do not like to
be transplanted, so direct sowing is usually recommended. However, runner beans can be sown
indoors, 1 seed per container in late April. Harden off and transplant in late May
or early June after your last frost date.
Outdoor
Sowing-
Favas - Direct seed in the garden or greenhouse from early
spring (or even late winter) every 3 weeks until mid summer. Sow seeds 2" deep, 8" apart in double
rows.
-
Runners - Sow in late May and early June 2" deep, 8" apart
against long poles or trellis.
Runner beans will not flower in high heat but may set beans again in the
fall.
-
Other Beans - Plant after last frost date in full sun, 1"
deep, 4"-6" apart depending on type.
Soil: Beans prefer well-drained non-acid fertile soil,
high in humus; the plants are not fussy and do well in a crop rotation after root
vegetables. Bean roots attract rhizobia bacteria that form nitrogen-rich
nodules. Rhizobia occurs naturally
in fertile organic soils but may be killed off by the use of chemicals. In that case, a rhizobia inoculant is
recommended
Bountea: Add
M3 and Root Web to the Bountea and drench the soil as soon as seeds have
germinated. Drench the soil and
spray the whole plant with Bountea every 2 - 3 weeks during the growth
phase. Reduce the M3 in the
Bountea or replace with B3 after flower buds form.
Cultivation: Do not disturb the roots but keep
weeded. Mulch the soil when the
weather is warm. Use shade cloth or lattice over fava plants to reduce heat. Keep evenly watered during germination
and flowering for the best crop. Support pole beans with a bean teepee of
bamboo poles that cross each other in the middle rather than at the top. This makes picking easier.
Harvesting:
Pick beans regularly and often as soon as pods or seeds just develop to
the size you prefer. Leaving pods
on the plant will halt further bean production.
The whole Fava pod can be picked and eaten when pods are
2"-3". Harvest fava beans for
shelling before the seeds have a black scar. If beans are over-mature, the outer skins may be removed
before cooking.
Harvest most bush
and pole beans at 4"-6"" long except runner bean which can grow to 10". If pods are over-mature, shell the
beans and use the fresh seeds.
Dried beans are left on the plant until the pods are dry
and rattle.
Nutritional Value: Shelled Beans are very nutritious
providing high levels of protein, vitamins and fiber. Soya beans are the only vegetables with complete protein -
other beans require a grain supplement to be complete. Research shows that diets rich in beans
lower obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Bush and pole bean pods are low in calories but high in a
range of nutrients: vitamins K, C, A and Bs; manganese, potassium, calcium and
iron; folic acid, tryptophan and omega 3. See the World's Healthiest Foods