A vegetable garden without beans? Impossible
Planting or sowing beans in your vegetable garden? Whether you have a single raised bed or a large allotment, beans belong in it.
That includes a Makkelijke Moestuin.
Do beans belong in every vegetable garden?
Yes, as far as I am concerned.
Fresh beans from your own garden are delicious: much tastier than those from the store. They're pretty easy to grow, take up little space, and give a great yield.
Fresh beans from your own garden are delicious: much tastier than those from the store. They're pretty easy to grow, take up little space, and give a great yield.
You can do all sorts of things with the harvest: cook them, stir fry them, add them to salads and soups.
I eat them a lot and grow them every year. I really like the beans with edible pods you can eat fresh, like green beans. Dry beans that you grow for the beans themselves - like white and brown beans - I don't do.
I eat them a lot and grow them every year. I really like the beans with edible pods you can eat fresh, like green beans. Dry beans that you grow for the beans themselves - like white and brown beans - I don't do.
Pretty easy to grow? Okay, what's the catch?
There's not really a catch. But beans do like good weather and hate getting too soggy.
You can sow beans from early May to late June. But it has to be warm and dry, beans don't grow well if it's too wet. And here in the Netherlands, we get plenty of wet.
You can sow beans from early May to late June. But it has to be warm and dry, beans don't grow well if it's too wet. And here in the Netherlands, we get plenty of wet.
Plus, the young seedlings are vulnerable to frost. And snails.
But if the plants come through the first weeks unscathed, then it's all good. You hardly need to look after them. You can pretty much let them grow until it's time to harvest.
But if the plants come through the first weeks unscathed, then it's all good. You hardly need to look after them. You can pretty much let them grow until it's time to harvest.
Pre-sow your beans
After a few cold Mays in a row, I decided to pre-sow my beans indoors. Bean seedlings are easy to transplant.
You can pre-sow them in a pot or little container with a mixture of 1 part MM-Mix, 1 part pre-sowing vermiculite.
You can pre-sow them in a pot or little container with a mixture of 1 part MM-Mix, 1 part pre-sowing vermiculite.
The app explains exactly how to do this, but here is the short version:
Fill a large Airpot with seed-starting mix. Moisten the mix (do not make it wet) and press 10-12 beans into it, about 2-3 cm deep. Then put the pot in a warm place.
The first sprouts will appear after 4 to 7 days. Move the pot into plenty of light. After another day or two, most of the beans will have sprouted and can go into your raised bed.
Next, make large holes or trenches in the soil mix and put the seedlings in the holes. Roots down, green up 😉
Give them some water, but not too much.
Give them some water, but not too much.
Sowing in an MM-Mini
You don't need to pre-sow if you grow your beans in an MM-Mini.
That's because you can easily bring them inside if the weather gets too cold or wet. So go ahead and sow straight away:
That's because you can easily bring them inside if the weather gets too cold or wet. So go ahead and sow straight away:
What's the difference between bush beans and pole beans?
The main difference is height.
Bush beans grow about 40 to 60 cm tall. You can fit 9 plants in a 30 by 30 cm square.
As they grow, support them with a U-shaped piece of garden mesh. This keeps them upright and neatly inside the square.
Pole beans grow and keep growing. If you give them the chance, they will easily reach 3 metres tall.
At that height, the beans are harder to reach and harvest. Our trellis is 2 metres tall, so if the plants grow any taller, I guide the tendrils along the sides of the frame:
At that height, the beans are harder to reach and harvest. Our trellis is 2 metres tall, so if the plants grow any taller, I guide the tendrils along the sides of the frame:
You can fit 8 plants in one square: 4 in front of the trellis and 4 behind it.
Harvesting as long as possible
I personally try to harvest as long as possible by sowing early and continuing for as long as possible.
If you grow bush beans and pole beans, with a bit of luck you can harvest from the beginning of July until the first frost.
Sometimes I even harvest in November:
If you grow bush beans and pole beans, with a bit of luck you can harvest from the beginning of July until the first frost.
Sometimes I even harvest in November:
Anything else?
When can you harvest, and for how long?
Bush beans bloom earlier. So you can harvest sooner: after about 8 weeks.
You can harvest everything in about 2 weeks. Once you've picked all the beans, you remove the plants.
You can harvest everything in about 2 weeks. Once you've picked all the beans, you remove the plants.
For a long harvest, sow a new patch every 2 weeks from mid-May to late June. Then harvest mid-July to mid-September.
With pole beans it's different. They put all their energy into growing upward at first.
With pole beans it's different. They put all their energy into growing upward at first.
They flower later than the bushier varieties. If the weather's good, you can pick your first beans after about 9 weeks.
Pole beans continue to grow and flower. So, new beans come out on the same plants every time and you don't have to sow new patches as often.
Pole beans continue to grow and flower. So, new beans come out on the same plants every time and you don't have to sow new patches as often.
Are there different kinds?
Yes, hundreds. You can find many types of the 'common' green bean alone. Then you've got your string beans, bacon beans, runner beans, butter beans, Chinese beans, and long beans. To name a few.
Then there are beans that you grow for just the beans: fresh or dried. Brown beans, white beans, you name it. Sometimes you can also eat the young pods, like the pinto bean:
Then there are beans that you grow for just the beans: fresh or dried. Brown beans, white beans, you name it. Sometimes you can also eat the young pods, like the pinto bean:
Then there are beans of which you only eat the dried beans. Brown beans, white beans, you name it. But I don't grow them: it takes too long and doesn't yield enough.
Which beans do you grow yourself?
Because I have several raised beds and trellises, I grow both bush beans and climbing beans. We have tried many varieties over the years, but now we stick to four.
Two short bush beans:
And two tall climbing beans:
Where can you buy them?
Where do you think? In the shop of course 😀
The bags tell you how many plants will fit in a patch, how tall they will be and whether they need a trellis. A guide for each species can be found in the Knowledge Base, and the app provides step-by-step guidance.
The bags tell you how many plants will fit in a patch, how tall they will be and whether they need a trellis. A guide for each species can be found in the Knowledge Base, and the app provides step-by-step guidance.
Have fun!
