Growing Beans - climbing, also Pole beans, Runner beans, Scarlet Runners

Phaseolus vulgaris, Phaseolus coccineus : Fabaceae / the pea or legume family

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

(Best months for growing Beans - climbing 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: 4 - 8 inches apart
  • Harvest in 9-11 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Sweetcorn, spinach, lettuce, summer savory, dill, carrots, brassicas, beets, radish, strawberry, cucumbers, zucchini, tagates minuta (wild marigold)
  • Avoid growing close to: Alliums (Chives, leek, garlic, onions), Florence fennel

Your comments and tips

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16 Jul 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I grow veges from March into winter and from Aug into summer near Bundaberg. Beans grow best here in spring - bean fly get mine in Autumn.
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05 Sep 18, Jane (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Mike - I was just rereading your post and it really is a great rule of thumb that I am going garden by.Appreciated.
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16 Jul 18, Mike (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Web page - queensland gardening.com - go to calendar and it gives a guide to planting each month. If they eat the tops of the tomatoes then you will probably only have side shoots grow. I'm going to plant tomato seeds early August and plant out early Sept. I have some tomatoes growing now - doing fairly well. Put a couple of teaspoons of Epsom salts in 9 L of water and sprinkle on the soil where the tomatoes go in. I use commercial fertiliser from Produce Suppliers (where farmers buy their fertiliser). 25Kg bag for $25-35. Use most on the lawn. About 10-14N,4-6P and 10-15K. I use about 2-3 teaspoons in 9 L of water when the plants are well established. I plant seeds into small plastic trays (get your meat etc in from supermarkets) then when seedlings germinate I plant out into 6-8 cell trays. When they start growing I place them where they receive about 3 hrs sunlight a day.
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05 Sep 18, Jane (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Mike - have you planted out your tomatoes? Once established, do you use 2-3 tspns to 9L water per plant when watering/daily? Re: fertiliser, do you use that regularly around tomatoes/other plants and/or plant feed and/or soil conditioner or just fertiliser? Everyone should take up gardening.
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17 Jun 18, Jane (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi. I have just read that beans are not happy around chives but have a couple of climbing beans (and climbing peas)near chives. Should I leave them or dig up and transplant the chives ir beans or neither? Thanx.
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18 Jun 18, Mike L (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
If the plants are well grown leave them. If they are seedling stage transplant one or the other. Or let them go and see what happens.
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08 Jul 18, Jane (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Mike, just to say thank you. Appreciated. So far so good. They are (to my untrained eye) looking OK. I have sown several others along a fence in another garden area but am not sure how they'll go. This site is brilliant. Jane
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04 Mar 18, Raymond (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
We have a problem getting Parsly to germinate..What is the secret.
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05 Sep 18, Jane (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Raymond , I just sowed it and let it go. However, it seems to be a slow growing plant?
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05 Mar 18, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Parsley can take a long time to germinate - up to six weeks
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Showing 101 - 110 of 261 comments
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There are two main things to think about when practicing crop rotation. The first; what condition (nutrition, minerals, tilth) will this crop leave the soil in. In this case your current crop is beans -- they fix their own nitrogen, so their roots will be full of nitrogen nodules (little white bubbles) and provided you just turn the roots into the ground -- the nitrogen will be available for the next crop. So your next crop CAN BE a heavy nitrogen feeder -- there should be lots of nitrogen there. Also beans do a surprisingly good job at breaking up the soil...maybe breaking up is too strong a word -- beans leave the soil very light and well blended with good aeration. Beans are not heavy feeders and therefore you don't need to worry about them depleting the soil of anything in particular, a basic application of manure should restore things. -- The Second concern of crop rotation is ; pests -- what pests did the beans attract ? Generally beans attract slugs and the sort of insects that feed on tender leaves (as young beans have very nice tender leaves) -- so ideally you want to plant something that these insects/slugs don't feed on -- something like tomatoes (their leaves are not suitable -- or tend not to be suitable for slugs). Then review what you would like to plant -- and determine the plant that best suits the conditions. Nightshades tend to be the most typical choice to follow beans -- Nightshade is a family of plants that includes tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, and peppers. Since you are probably already set up with poles - I might go for indeterminate tomatoes (which are really vines and require support).

- Celeste Archer

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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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