Selecting the correct variety of bean is a necessary step in gardening. Not all bean varieties requires the same types of growing conditions. A bean variety chart can assist in selecting which variety of beans to plant in your garden plot.
The variety chart displays information on how particular varieties of beans will grow and how they will respond to different types of weather. If you select varieties that dont suit the conditions of your garden plot, then the beans may grow in ways that cause problem, such as producing too many beans that are tough to eat. Using a bean variety chart will allow you to select varieties that will match the environment of your garden plot.
How to Choose Bean Varieties
Bean varieties include three main group. These groups include varieties of bush beans, varieties of pole beans, and varieties of shell or dry beans. Bush beans typically grow to completion in less than two month.
You can rotate them into the garden plot for fall planting. Pole beans grow as vines that climb upward off the ground. Pole beans are useful for saving space in garden plots.
Additionally, shell beans and dry beans varieties takes longer to mature than bush beans. However, they produce beans that can last longer after harvesting. Within the group of bush beans, there are many different varieties of bush beans.
Pole beans also include many different varieties. Some varieties of bush beans produce beans that are well-suited for canning because their pods are relatively thick. Additionally, there are varieties of beans that are adapted to colder climates than others.
Cold-hardy beans will grow well even if the spring temperatures is cool. Heat-loving varieties are best adapted for garden plots located in the southern climates of the United States. You can also locate these characteristics on the bean variety chart.
Pole beans require support to grow because of their vine growth habits. You must provide support systems for these varieties of beans because they wont remain upright without it. If you do not provide support for pole bean vines, they will grow as a mess within your garden plot.
Some varieties of pole beans produces flowers that attract pollinators; others form thin pods that are easy to eat when harvested. The gardener can select bean varieties of this type according to the pod preference. Dry beans are often planted to be stored for longer periods after harvesting.
Dry beans include black beans, red kidney beans, and white navy beans. Each type of dry bean can be used in different types of cooking. Once dry beans are mature, their pods become dry and papery.
You can pull the entire plant from the soil and hang it to dry. Once dry, you can thresh the beans to separate the beans from the dry bean pods. Stored in a clean jar, dry beans can last for long periods of time.
Dry beans are an efficient form of producing food that can be used during the winter months. When planting beans in your garden, you must ensure that the soil is warm and that the beans are spaced apart correctly. You should plant beans one inch deep into the soil and should plant them once the nighttime temperatures reach fifty degrees.
You should use an inoculant when planting beans to introduce bacteria to the soil that will fix the nitrogen in the soil. The beans will produce nodules that contain nitrogen-fixing bacteria. These bacteria pull the nitrogen from the air and use it to feed the bean plants.
Bush beans should be spaced four inch apart in your plot. Pole beans require more space in your garden plot to allow the plants to permit air to move through their leaves. When harvesting snap and shell beans, it is essential to do so at the right time.
You should harvest snap beans when their pods are pencil-thickness in diameter. Additionally, you should harvest snap beans frequently to encourage the plants to produce more pods. Shell beans should be harvested once the beans within their pods are plump but can still be plucked easy.
Snap beans should be stored in chilled environments. Dry beans can be stored within the jars in which they are harvested. For those interested in saving the beans from the plants that grow in their gardens, it is best to select varieties of beans that are self-pollinating because those beans will grow true to there original type.
Companion planting can increase the growth of your beans. However, you should never plant beans near alliums like onions. These plants will stunt the growth of the bean plants.
You should rotate beans each year within the garden plot to allow the soil to replenish nutrients. Additionally, when rotating the beans, till the residues of the previous years bean plants into the soil. The residues will act as green manure to enrich the soil.
Using a variety chart will allow you to avoid common mistake with growing beans.