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

26 Jan 10, Chris (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Jim, snails will eat all the leaves off a bean plant overnight. Various bugs and grubs will eat into the beans themselves. Have you checked the plants at night with a torch to catch what is eating them?
11 Feb 10, Hellbelle (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
My bean plants were growing really well, but now the leaves seem to be dying off just as they're starting to flower. The ends are going brown - they look like they're burnt but i'm sooo careful when i water to make sure the leaves stay dry....any tips???
13 Feb 10, Rikkyurk (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I have tried growing from seed twice and only one from 40 seemed to germinate. I am sowing in rows 1.5 - 2cm deep. As directed on the packet I didn't water for 3 days after sowing. They were a fresh packet of seed too. Any tips?
01 Oct 10, Monty (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
A tip I saw on a TV show for getting beans and peas to germitate suggested soaking the seeds overnight in water with a pinch of epsom salts. The magnesium is supposed to activate an enzyme in the seed which triggers sprouting. I have done this once with dwarf beans and once with braod beans and have got 100% (8 out of 8) germination both times.
16 Feb 10, Liz (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
Rikkyurk, Water the ground well before sowing the beans, then you can leave them for a few days to germinate. But if the weather is very hot and dry, it might help to water after a day. Have you tried a different variety? Some seem easier than others.
20 Mar 10, monique (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
my beans are really hard what is wrong with them and they are a bit brown
21 Mar 10, george (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Can anyone help I have tried twice to get my dwarf beans going but by the time they rreach 6 leaf stage they are being eaten by something. or may be sucked by something.
21 Mar 10, Diane (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
My bean plants were also growing very well, they flowered and produced a few beans but now the leaf ends are going brown and look burned (just like Hellbelle 11 Feb post). I would appreciate some feedback about possilbe causes.
17 Apr 10, brian palfreyman (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Soon after the bean sprouts comes out of the ground they need to be sprayed against the bean fly which stings the newly exposed stalk and lays eggs in the stalk and a grub developes which eats the inside of the stalk and the plant dies I spray mine as soon as the bean emerges from the ground and get a good crop,if I forget to spray them I loose them
22 May 10, dan (Australia - tropical climate)
can you tell me the name of the spray to use as we have the same problem.
Showing 11 - 20 of 156 comments

why are my bean plants going yellow?

- dani

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