How to Grow Beans (with Pictures)

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

Red beans are fairly simple to grow, but you'll need to make sure the roots don't get waterlogged or you'll spoil the crop at any point. Like many other varieties of beans, red beans can grow bushes or vines, so you'll need to choose the type that best suits the space and needs you have.

Steps

Part 1 of 5: Preparation

Step 1. Use seeds instead of sprouts

Most beans do not survive transplanting, so you should think about direct sowing instead of using seedlings as a starting point.

Step 2. Choose the suitable location

Red beans need full sun to bloom and you should sow them in a location where there is at least six hours a day if not more.

If possible, find a spot with naturally loose soil. Loose soil takes water more naturally and is crucial if you want to have healthy plants. If you find that water collects in a certain area when it rains, you should consider moving to another location.
Rotate your sowing every year. Do not replant beans in the same field or where you have planted other legumes in the previous three years.

Step 3. Amend the soil

It will need to be light and loose for the water to drain. If your soil is heavy, you will need to amend it with organic material. The pH must be almost neutral.

A good example of a soil improver is manure or even compost. Both options will help loosen the total density of the soil, perfectly nourishing it.
Fine by mixing extra components with a small scoop or rake a few weeks before planting.
The pH should be between 6.0 and 7.0.
Consider mixing a powdered immunizer into the soil. It is a natural and healthy bacterium that makes it easier for beans to absorb nitrogen during the crucial first moments of growth.

Step 4. Put a trellis if necessary. While most red beans are bushy, some varieties are climbers. The latter grow vertically, so you will need to attach them to a fence or trellis if you want them to produce maximum.

Part 2 of 5: Planting

Step 1. Wait for the last frost

Red beans require a certain level of heat and humidity to perform at their best. Plant them in the spring once you are certain there will be no more frosts.

The soil temperature should be between 21 and 27 ° C. If possible, prevent it from falling below 16 ° C.
Ideally, it should stay between 18 and 27 ° C during most of the season.
If a freeze arrives unexpectedly once your beans have hatched, cover the seedlings with some non-woven fabric or hemp to protect them from the cold.

Step 2. Plant the seeds at the right depth

Beans should be planted 2.5 to 3.8cm deep.

Many prefer to put a space between one seed and another (2.5 to 5 cm) at the beginning. Once your seedlings reach about 7.6 cm, thin them out by removing the weaker ones to help the others

Step 3. Give the seeds enough space

For most varieties you will need to sow 7.6 to 10cm apart.

More specifically, climbing varieties grow well at 10.16cm apart, while bushy varieties need 20.32cm.
The seeds should germinate within 10-14 days.

Part 3 of 5: Growing in a Container

Step 1. Choose a large vase

Although it is not the ideal condition for beans, these plants still manage to grow in pots if well cared for. For each bean, you will need a pot that is at least 30.5cm in diameter.

If you choose to grow beans in pots, opt for the bushy variety instead of the climbing one. Bushy tends to perform best in confined spaces.
The main reason why beans are not usually grown in pots is simply because the production of an average plant is not enough for one person. It usually takes 6 to 10 plants to have enough beans for regular use. You only need to plant one seed per pot though, so you need 6 to 10 different pots if you want to produce enough beans.

Step 2. Add gravel to the pot

Before the soil, it is better to make a layer of gravel on the bottom to improve drainage. Otherwise the plants could get soaked in water easily.

Step 3. Plant the seeds deep enough

As with those in soil, plant each seed 2.5 to 3.8cm deep. Sow in the center of the pot.

Part 4 of 5: Daily and Long-Term Care

Step 1. Water only when the soil dries up

It should never be soaked in water as the roots could easily rot. Therefore, only give extra water if there is a drought.

Instead of watering the earth and trying to keep it constantly moist, you should check to see if the soil has dried out at least an inch deep. You can test it by sticking a finger in length and feeling if it's wet

Step 2. Avoid high nitrogen fertilizers

While it would make the plant look vigorous and leafy, it would do it more harm than good, as the fruit would suffer. Large doses of nitrogen will produce a plant full of leaves but with very few beans.

Once the seedling is born, the beans will produce the nitrogen needed by the roots themselves. An additional fertilizer would end up overfeeding the plant.
If your plants need more nutrients, use some low-nitrogen organic fertilizer.

Step 3. Beware of weeds

Plant roots are rather shallow so when digging for weeds, do so without disturbing or damaging the bean roots.

Never weed around the beanstalk using a scoop or hoe. Pull them off by hand.
You can also get rid of them by spreading a 2.5-5cm layer of mulch around the seedling once it pops up. Mulch also has the added benefit of maintaining adequate heat and humidity, preventing the pods from rotting when they hit the ground.

Step 4. Insects and diseases

Some insects target beans and the plant is vulnerable to a variety of diseases. If you have any problems, you will need to administer the right pesticide or fungicide.

Beetles, snails, caterpillars and grasshoppers ravage the leaves. They can be easily eliminated by removing them from plants regularly when you notice them. If that's not an option, look for a specific pesticide.
Aphids can also attack beans but cannot be removed by hand. Treat the plant with the right pesticide once you notice them, as they can spread the mosaic virus.
Bean rust is a dark red fungus that shows up with patches on the leaves and should be treated with a fungicide at the first sign.
Powdery mildew is yet another threat. The appearance is that of white powder. Treat the plant with a fungicide as soon as you notice it and cut back on watering. Powdery mildew is caused by moisture so make sure the plant is wet only at ground level and not on the stem.
If your crop is threatened by squirrels, deer or rabbits, you can fence it off.

Part 5 of 5: Collection and Storage

Step 1. Collect the beans at the end of the season

Bushy varieties should only be harvested once at the end of the season. Those vines can be harvested multiple times, but most of the harvest will occur at the end of the season.

Depending on the variety chosen, the beans will be ready between 90 and 150 days later.
Climbing varieties produce a crop on a regular basis for one to two months.
Properly matured pods will be dry to the touch and the beans inside will have a very hard texture.
Before harvesting them, check the beans from a pod. You can tell if they are ready by biting one carefully. If your teeth manage to dent the bean, then the rest should dry out for a longer period of time before harvesting.

Step 2. If necessary, weed out the plants ahead of time

If temperatures drop or other unfavorable weather conditions threaten the crop, you can weed out the plants and let the beans finish drying later.

High humidity, for example, can make it difficult for plants to dry out. In this case you will have to go through the process inside.
Remove the plants and hang them upside down through the roots for a few days or weeks, until the pods look dry and the beans inside are firm. Make sure most of the leaves are dry when you uproot the plants.
Keep the beans warm and covered, in an area with plenty of air to dry them.

Step 3. Open the pods

After you have collected them from the plant you will need to break them to open them in half and remove the beans inside. If you've matured the plants correctly, the beans should already be dry and tough.