Growing Beans - dwarf, also French beans, Bush beans

Phaseolus vulgaris : Fabaceae / the pea or legume family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
P                 P P P

(Best months for growing Beans - dwarf in New Zealand - cool/mountain regions)

  • P = Sow seed
  • Easy to grow. Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 61°F and 86°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 2 - 6 inches apart
  • Harvest in 7-10 weeks. Pick often to encourage more flower production.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Sweetcorn, spinach, lettuce, summer savory, dill, carrots, brassicas, beets, radish, strawberry and cucumbers, tagates minuta (wild marigold)
  • Avoid growing close to: Alliums (Chives, leek, garlic, onions) Sunflower

Your comments and tips

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04 Feb 19, Srini (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Does Dwarf French beans die after 1 harvest. The plants had an excellent produce and seem to start dying (with yellowing leaves) after the first harvest.
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05 Feb 19, mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Could be lack of water fertiliser and even end of growing season. I'm sub tropical and don't know temperate. You still have very hot days in summer - I don't grow in summer. Don't let the beans become too old before picking. I generally had 3 pickings in the spring.
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27 Jul 18, debi riordan (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
When you say don't plant beans too close to garlic.... how close is too close? I have garlic growing in my raised garden bed and was going to plant yellow beans about 30cm from them. Is that too close?
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11 Sep 18, Mike (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Probably 4-5' away min.
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13 Feb 18, Teresa Manwaring (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi nice to be on board , could you tell me if to late to put in some more snake beans , thank you Regards Teresa .
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16 Feb 18, Darren (Australia - arid climate)
If you click on the "Planting now" tab at the top, it will show you what can be planted for your chosen climate each month. For sub-tropical, you can plant both dwarf and climbing beans.
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19 Nov 17, nathan ayienda (Australia - temperate climate)
I need samantha french bean seeds from usa
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20 Nov 17, Mike (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
You probably can't import seeds from overseas for disease reasons.
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22 Nov 17, Steve (Australia - temperate climate)
It seems you can in fact import Phaseolus spp. (excluding P. trilobus) — Grown in the United States of America — Certified seed sourced from California, Idaho or Washington into Australia. You must complete an application for Seeds for sowing. You can find import conditions for all types of things using the BICON database located here https://bicon.agriculture.gov.au/BiconWeb4.0/ Good luck :)
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09 Oct 17, Maryann (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Why can't you plant dwarf beans by sunflowers?
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Showing 41 - 50 of 156 comments
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Dying leaf could be just old leaves or some disease. Curly leaf could be a disease or dry weather. A plant will protect itself in the heat of the day or hot weather by exposing less leaf to the sun. Put some mulch on the top of the soil to keep more moisture in the soil. In the future look at adding something to your soil to slow down the water draining through the soil so quickly.

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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. GardenGrow is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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