Beans are a typical representative of the legume family. There are about 90 species. The predominant growing area is the southern regions. Initially, in Russia, it was grown for decoration. And only two centuries later, they mastered it as a garden crop.

Today, common beans are more common. She is on a special account, for useful qualities and ease of care. However, you need to know how to plant beans outdoors.

How to plant beans outdoors

With the beginning of the summer season, each summer resident begins ready places for planting vegetables. Only many people forget about beans. This is a big mistake, since this plant not only produces tasty and healthy fruits, but also saturates the soil with nitrogen.

This favorably will affect the growth of other plantings, and prepare the soil for the next season. It should be noted that the beans do not need large areas, you can place it on any free piece of land. The choice of location depends on the variety of legumes. If this is a bush type, then the ideal location is between the rows of potatoes and cabbage, and the weaving type is along the fence.

How to properly prepare the soil and seeds

Legumes perfect feel on loose and nutritious land, with drainage and without close flow of groundwater. If the substrate is clayey in the area, then the beans may not grow.

For increase productivity, the following additives are introduced into the seed soil: compost or humus, superphosphates, ammonium nitrate, potassium chloride. Nitrogen oversaturation can lead to the active growth of green mass, to the detriment of legume formations.

It is advisable to choose open areas with good lighting and without drafts. If there are abandoned squares in your garden where nothing has grown for a long time, then beans will help revive them. It's natural green manure, capable of completely restoring the biological balance of the soil in a season.

Preparatory work begins in the fall: they dig up the site and add organic and mineral top dressing. You can not plant beans in the same place two seasons contract. The best predecessors for them are: carrots, onions, beets, tomatoes, cucumbers.

Many beginner gardeners are interested in when to start planting beans in open ground. A favorable period for such a procedure is the end of April, the beginning of May. So that the labors are not in vain, due to unexpected night frosts, the beans are pre-processed. The essence of such training is as follows:

• The seed is thoroughly checked for damage and deformation. The defective product is rejected.
• It is recommended to soak the beans overnight in warm water. The main thing is not to overexpose them, so as not to get an excess of moisture. This technique speeds up germination.
• For the prevention of nodule weevil, just before immersion in the ground, the seeds are treated with a solution of boric acid and ammonium.

These minor nuances will help achieve a higher percentage of seed germination.

How to plant beans and further care

When the danger of short-term spring frosts has passed, and the air warms up to 14-15 degrees, you can plant beans. If you focus on blooming chestnut, then you can't go wrong with the timing.

Curly varieties should be planted 7-9 days later than upright varieties.

Bush beans are planted at a distance of 22-25 cm, with an interbirth interval of 40 cm.

Curly representatives are placed a little less often. 4-5 grains are placed in each hole, to a depth of no more than 7 cm. Too close to the surface leads to a blanket bedding of seedlings.

Too deep - to rotting beans. After the appearance of sprouts, only 2-3 pieces are left, and the rest are seated in another place.

After planting, all plantings are abundantly moistened and compacted. For insurance, some make a shelter from a film.

Subsequent care:

With the achievement of a 2-meter height near the vegetation, it is necessary to pinch the tops of the stems. This activates the appearance of the first ovaries.

Possible problems when growing beans

Most often, bean crops are affected by grains, cabbage and garden scoops. The scoop tends to lay larvae on various ground parts of the plant. If you do not get rid of them, then they will quickly eat up everything in their path. Bean weevil falls into the soil during sowing and gnaws the fruits from the inside.

With improper care, the following may appear diseases Key words: anthracnose, bacteriosis, viral mosaic. Bacteriosis is dangerous not only to the plant itself. It can last for many years, and every season will remind of itself. Obvious signs of anthracnose are: dark blotches on young shoots, yellowing of the sinewy pattern on the leaf plate, followed by hole formation. Reddish markings are observed on the fruits, growing into large ulcers.

If the viral mosaic has made itself felt, then the plant can be considered lost. There are no special means of dealing with it. The grass is completely uprooted and burned. This viral disease can be avoided if Right take care of, observe agrotechnical measures. To prevent other lesions, timely treatment with Bordeaux mixture is required.

It is better, even in spring and after harvesting, to spray young shoots and soil with phytosporin. Such a procedure and compliance with crop rotation will avoid any fungal infections.

To prevent pests from spoiling adult sprouts, every autumn they dig up the planting soil. When this does not help, it is advisable to do spraying bactericidal preparations.

Cleaning and storage

Full maturation occurs 2 weeks after the start of flowering. Ripe pods are cut every 2-3 days, in the morning. Then the fruits have more juicy and flavorful taste. Asparagus beans are removed completely, as they are cooked and consumed whole. The shelf life of young beans is short. It is harvested for the future, by drying or freezing.

When growing legumes for grain, seeds are collected once. Bushes are cut under the very base, collected in bunches and hung in a dry, ventilated room. There they reach the condition. Then they are peeled and put away for storage in glass containers.

To harvest seed for the next year, choose the first two ripe pods from the very bottom. After drying, peel off yo rna and keep in the refrigerator. Their germination persists for 10 years.

Beans are one of the healthiest crops. Our article will help you grow beans with your own hands. We have prepared for you detailed descriptions of green beans and asparagus beans. You will also find practical advice and recommendations for preparing beds and seeds for sowing.

Our article will be interesting even after sowing: with the help of the information below, you can independently recognize bean diseases, learn how to properly care for it and prepare beans for storage.

Growing beans

Legumes, which include beans, are considered very unpretentious in cultivation. They grow quite successfully even on insufficiently fertile soils, are rarely affected by diseases and pests during cultivation, and do not require special care during the entire growing season.

Despite the unpretentiousness of culture, it still needs some attention. First of all, you need to choose the right plant variety, select and prepare a bed for planting, and follow all the rules of agricultural technology. Since all these stages include many nuances, we will dwell on them in more detail.

The structure of beans defines two large groups of beans: grain (shelling) and vegetable (semi-sugar and sugar).

The shelling varieties are used for seed production. Due to the coarse fibers on the wings, such beans are not eaten green.

Ripe fruits of semi-sugar varieties do not form hard fibers. Coarse fiber in them is formed much later, when the beans reach the size of a barley or wheat seed.

Sugar (asparagus) fruits do not contain a parchment layer at all, the fiber does not form, which makes them especially popular. It is these varieties that are intended for conservation and long-term storage.

In the form of a bean bush It happens(picture 1):

• Bush. The height of the plant is limited, and the bushes do not need supports;
• semi-curly;
• curly. Fruits throughout the season, but during cultivation, you need to pinch the top of the bush to extend the fruiting period.

Figure 1. Types of beans: 1 - bush, 2 - semi-curly, 3 - curly

In addition, varieties are divided according to fruiting time into early, mid-early, medium, mid-season and late.

The following varieties are considered the most popular(picture 2):

1. Second- an early variety, which is characterized by a small compact bush and soft green pods.
2. saxa- early asparagus with tender fleshy beans.
3. Pink- mid-season curly high productivity.
4. purple- mid-season variety. The beans are elongated, lack the parchment layer, and are great for cooking and storage.
5. Lobio- culture with fleshy white and large beans. Great for canning and making pâtés.

Figure 2. Popular varieties: 1 - Secunda, 2 - Saks, 3 - pink, 4 - purple, 5 - Lobio

Asparagus beans: cultivation and care

Sugar (asparagus) beans are a fairly unpretentious plant. However, it requires careful soil selection. Grows best in light to medium loam. It does not tolerate heavy soil due to an excess of groundwater. She needs to change the landing site annually to prevent fungal diseases. Root crops are considered the best predecessors.

Site preparation begins in the autumn months. It is important to choose a well-lit, sunny place. It is also necessary to remove all weeds, dig up the bed and fertilize it with calcium chloride, superphosphate and humus. With the onset of spring, the bed is watered abundantly, diluting potash fertilizers in water. Nitrogen supplements should not be used as they affect the growth of stems and leaves, so there is a possibility that the pods will remain immature.

Note: This is a heat-loving plant, so you can start planting it when the risk of unexpected frosts has passed and the soil has warmed up. Before planting, it is better to germinate the seeds in advance, and then, shortly before planting, hold them in a solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes, then rinse with water.

In the prepared bed, recesses are made at a distance of 8 centimeters from each other. In this case, the gap between rows should be at least 30 centimeters, and for curly species it increases by 5-10 centimeters and ranges from 35 to 40 centimeters. Beans are planted in pairs in each recess. To retain heat, the bed must be covered with a film.

After a few weeks, the first sprouts appear, which should be thinned out, leaving stronger plants.

Asparagus beans do not tolerate neighborhood with peas, onions and garlic, but with thyme the culture feels great.

Regular watering is the basis for successful crop cultivation. The lack of moisture in the soil is the cause of growth retardation and deformation of fruits. In addition, you should pinch off (cut off) the stems when they reach a height of about two meters.

Milk tender fruits must be plucked during the inspection of the plant, which also stimulates the formation of new ovaries. The largest pods are left for harvesting seeds. They are plucked at a time when all parts of the plant become dry. The collected beans are dried and cleaned from the valves. Seeds can be stored up to six years at a temperature of +5.

Figure 3. Planting and caring for asparagus beans

To obtain high yields and a large number of ovaries, it is necessary to regularly weed and loosen the beds. This should be done for the first time when the sprouts rise 6-7 centimeters above the ground. Loosening can be repeated after a few weeks, simultaneously weeding and hilling the culture.

Curly asparagus needs vertical supports to secure the stems (Figure 3). Therefore, it would be more rational to grow this species near walls and fences, or near natural supports.

String beans cultivation

A whole range of vitamins, minerals, and trace elements can be obtained in your own garden by following the tips below for planting and caring for green beans (Figure 4):

• Choose a bed on the sunny side, sheltered from drafts;
• Free it from weeds;
• Dig, fertilize the soil with potassium, superphosphate and humus before planting;
• Soak and germinate the seeds shortly before planting;
• Keep the distance between holes at least 12-15 centimeters with row spacings of at least 35 centimeters. Plant beans at a depth of no more than 5 centimeters.
• After planting the seeds, sprinkle the bed with humus;
• For climbing varieties, it is necessary to build a support;
• The emerging seedlings must be thinned out, regularly watered under the root, fed, loosened;
• Selectively harvest as soon as pods begin to form. Overripe fruits are suitable only for seeds;
• Stimulate the bush for a new crop by tearing off the shoulder blades.

Figure 4. Development of green beans after planting

From overripe pods with dry valves, the beans are harvested for seeds and further planting.

Choice of landing site and timing

Given the thermophilicity of the plant, the beds located in the south and southwest of the site will be the most successful. Seeds germinate at an ambient temperature exceeding +15 degrees, do not tolerate sudden changes in temperature, frost and heat, and also do not tolerate a lack of moisture.

Note: In late May - early June, the soil warms up to a depth of about 10 centimeters. Then they start landing.

Those wishing to get an early harvest in conditions of heat deficiency can use a cold greenhouse. It is installed 10 days before sowing, so that the soil under it warms up and dries.

You can remove the greenhouse frames when the threat of unexpected frosts has passed.

If the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe plot is limited, sometimes it is planted in bushes with potatoes, since the best predecessors for it are root crops, as well as tomatoes and cucumbers. This culture also coexists well with cabbage.

Due to the risk of disease, it is worth planting beans in the same area only after 4-5 years.

Preparing and planting seeds

Before planting, you need to properly prepare the site and seeds. Like all legumes, beans grow well and yield well in light, loose soil. If the soil is acidic, lime is added to it. For fertilizer use compost or humus. From chemical compounds, superphosphate and potassium chloride can be added, nitrogenous fertilizers are used with caution.

The beans are being prepared for planting(picture 5):

• Beans are checked and removed if they are weak, diseased, or empty;
• Seeds are soaked in melt water overnight;
• After that, they are treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or boric acid.

Figure 5. Preparation of beans for sowing (germination)

Beans are planted in rows. At the same time, the distance between the bushes is about 25 cm, and between the rows - from 35 to 60 cm, depending on the variety. For climbing varieties, it is necessary to leave a greater distance, since in the future, a support must be installed near each bush. Seeds are buried to a depth of 3-5 cm.

You can start planting climbing and semi-climbing varieties after installing special supports up to 2.5 meters high. In this case, seed holes are made at a distance of 15 cm from the support.

Note: In order for the seeds to germinate faster and the soil to retain moisture for a long time, after planting, the soil needs to be slightly tamped.

During the growing process, the soil around the crops is regularly loosened, weeds are removed and top dressing is applied in the form of organic or chemical fertilizers designed specifically for legumes.

Bean care: loosening, fertilizing and watering

Caring for beans is simple, just know some of its nuances (Figure 6):

1. During the germination process, it is necessary to monitor the soil moisture, since a rough crust on it injures tender shoots.
2. With the advent of the first sprouts, they need to be thinned out.
3. After a month and a half, the first top dressing is carried out with complex fertilizer.
4. The second top dressing is carried out a month after the first in order to introduce phosphorus, magnesium and potassium into the soil. All these elements are contained in the ashes and contribute to the development of fruits.
5. The soil at the root system should be moderately moist (in clear and warm weather, water more than in cool weather). This is important for the formation of the crop.

Figure 6. Bean care: installing supports, watering and mulching

Loosening the soil is one of the most important conditions for obtaining a crop. To do this, use a cultivator or mulching. The thickness of the mulch should reach 5-30 cm. Loosening is done with great care, it can be combined with weeding.

From the video you will learn everything about growing beans: how to properly prepare the beds and seeds, plant the crop and care for it.

Pest and disease control

Beans can attack bacterial, fungal and viral diseases . The most common are (Figure 7):

1. Fusarium - the first signs are the wilting of the plant and the appearance of root rot. The source of infection is infected seeds. Regardless of the duration of infection, Fusarium significantly reduces the quality and quantity of the crop. Especially often Fusarium affects young shoots. It is important that without the use of chemical means of protection, the causative agent of the disease persists in beans and soil.
2. Anthracnose affects plants during the entire vegetative growth period, but most often the disease manifests itself during the formation of beans. Red-brown spots with a light middle appear on the cotyledons. The leaves become covered with brown spots with brown edges, and gradually the plant dries up. But the beans themselves suffer the most. Under the influence of the fungus, they become hard and wrinkle, being a source of infection.
3. white rot can affect not only leaves and stems, but also fruits. They become soft and gradually rot.
4. Gray rot can infect all plants in the garden, penetrating through damaged areas of stems and leaves. Wet spots of brown-green color with a characteristic fluffy coating appear on leaves and beans. Gray rot can not only worsen the quality of seeds, but also lead to a decrease in yield.

Figure 7. Culture diseases: 1 - fusarium, 2 - anthracnose, 3 - white rot, 4 - gray rot

Bacterial diseases are the most dangerous. They are caused by various types of bacteria and can lead to the loss of the entire crop. Plants are especially affected after flowering during seed formation.

The first signs of bacterioses are spots on the cotyledons or deformation of the sprouts. During the period of active growth, bacteria enter plants through accidental mechanical damage on the surface and begin to develop in internal tissues, destroying them.

Often the disease passes from beans to seeds, which are the main source of transmission. Yellow spots appear on the affected white seeds, with a strong lesion, the entire surface becomes yellow.

The second remarkable feature of bacterioses can be called wilting of leaves. The disease is especially severe at excessive humidity and moderate temperatures. Bacteria persist in seeds, plant debris, soil.

Main bacterial diseases of beans are(picture 8):

1. brown spotting - watery light green spots and cankers appear on the underside of the leaves of the damaged plant. This disease can easily be confused with anthracnose. A distinctive feature of bacteriosis is the less saturated color of the spots. With severe damage, the entire surface of the seeds becomes yellow (varnished). This type of bacterium persists in seeds for up to 5 years, in dry leaves - up to two.
2. Bacterial burn affects all above-ground parts of the plant. It appears in the form of brown blurry spots with an oily sheen on varieties with white seeds, or in the form of dry, brown, small spots, similar to warts, on seeds with a colored shell. At first, the spots are transparent, but soon they turn brown and dry. Sometimes the affected seeds do not have characteristic spots, but remain shriveled, unripe, without a characteristic luster.
3. Rusty brown spotting most often affects crops in areas with a dry climate or in drought. As a rule, the disease is spread by affected seeds. The infected plant wilts, seedlings die, and adult plants stop developing and do not form pods.

Figure 8. Bacterial diseases of legumes: 1 - brown spot, 2 - bacterial burn, 3 - rusty-brown spot

Viral diseases include the so-called bean mosaic (Figure 9). Its carrier is aphids. The disease is characterized by variegated leaf color, in which the spots merge with each other, spreading throughout the body of the plant. Due to the disease, the bush has a poorly developed root system, gives low yields.

In addition, the crop may die due to pests. These include bean weevil (Figure 9). This is an insect that can develop in the soil or granaries. It enters the fields along with the affected seeds. They begin to appear on crops during the formation of beans, but their main mass can be observed during the ripening of the crop. Females lay their eggs inside ripe dry beans, and the larvae eat the grains after hatching.

Figure 9. Bean mosaic (left) and the main crop pest - bean weevil

Disease prevention and control involves:

• Careful selection of planting material, preferably varieties resistant to fungi and viruses;
• Weed extermination;
• thinning seedlings;
• Aphid destruction;
• Removal of dead plant parts;
• Seed treatment before planting;
• Disposal of plant residues after harvest;
• Compliance with the rules of crop rotation.

Harvesting

Harvesting beans of vegetable varieties is carried out during daily inspection of plants (Figure 10). Their fruits are used as a whole - both pods and seeds. If it is overripe, it is only good for seeds.

Figure 10 Harvest and storage

For preservation and freezing, beans are harvested earlier, without waiting for the moment when the pods turn yellow. Then the fruits are slightly green, but already mature, there are no fibers along the edges of the pods.

Beans intended for storage are peeled and dried. Store in a cool place in containers with tight lids. The author of the video gives practical recommendations on the preparation and further storage of beans.

It is believed that planting beans is a simple matter. Indeed, you can just throw the seeds in the garden and forget about them. Stunted lashes will grow with a pair of sluggish pods. If you want to have delicious fruits from your own garden on the table - pay attention to the plant, provide the care that this species requires. In areas with short summers, find out how long after planting the crop will ripen and consider if this variety is right for you.

Bean Features

Under one name, many varieties of legumes are hidden. Before purchasing seeds, you need to decide which varieties you need. Much depends on how you intend to use the harvest: cook unripe pods or cook bean soups.

According to food use, beans are divided into 3 categories.

• Asparagus gives tender pods without a parchment layer. A very tasty variety, but the crop can only be stored frozen.
• Shelling. Only seeds are suitable for food, which, when dried, can be stored for many years.
• Semi-sugar. Young pods can be eaten, but later they harden, and only seeds become suitable for culinary purposes.

In addition to the quality of the fruit, there are many more ways to classify this crop. One plant can be completely different from another, it is even difficult to assume that they belong to the same species.

Beans are:

• curly;
• bush;
• upright;
• annual;
• perennial;
• vegetable;
• decorative.

Although the plant comes from warm countries, it is not very demanding on temperature. Of course, during frosts, the sprouts will die, but at a positive temperature, the grains can be germinated in open ground. The main problem when growing in the northern regions is not the cold summer, but the long duration of daylight hours. The homeland of the species is Latin America, located near the equator. The duration of daylight and darkness is approximately the same there, about 12 hours. White nights interfere with the development and yield of beans, it will be necessary to include closure with opaque materials in their care.

A big plus for the gardener will be the property of plants to be pollinated only by their own flowers. Several varieties of beans can be grown in the garden, but the pollen of one specimen will not fall on others, and all qualities will remain unchanged. If you do not have hybrid varieties, you can safely collect seeds and plant them next year in your garden. All varietal qualities will be preserved, no matter how many other varieties grow in front of the bush.

How to wake up the seeds

When buying planting material, be sure to look at what species the plant belongs to. Asparagus varieties will give you young pods, while shelling varieties will only give you seeds. In any case, the beans must be soaked before planting, otherwise they will not hatch for a long time. With a short summer, pay attention to the timing of fruit ripening. Try to purchase zoned varieties of local selection, which are more hardy, they do not require special care.

Landing dates depend on the weather. In order for the beans to germinate, the earth must warm up to + 15⁰, the spring frosts will end. In the southern regions, they begin to plant when the chestnut tree blooms, and in areas where this tree does not grow, you will have to navigate according to the weather forecast and your own intuition. First, lay the beans of erect varieties in the ground, after a week the turn of climbing plants will come. If the summer is warm and long enough, bush beans can be planted in July in the beds where early vegetables and greens grew before.

Sort the seeds, put aside all rotten, damaged, deformed. Soak them in the evening and keep them in water all night. In the morning, select those that are not swollen, and hold the rest for several minutes in a solution of boric acid (dilute 1 g of powder in 5 liters of water). With this treatment, before planting, the plants will not be afraid of diseases and pests.

Site preparation

It's time to figure out how to plant the beans so they germinate faster. Legumes have their own soil requirements. They do not need excess nitrogen, they themselves are good green manure and enrich the earth with nutrients. The plant does not like soils that do not pass water well and contain a lot of stagnant moisture. It grows best in sunny areas where there is no strong wind. Remember that legumes can be grown in one place for only one season, you can return to the same bed no earlier than after 3 years, so that pests and diseases do not attack the plantings. But if vegetable crops grew in front of them, the plants develop correctly and enrich the depleted soil.

Grow beans in poor, nutrient-deprived soils. Next year, the garden bed will be saturated with nitrogen and ready to accept vegetable crops.

In autumn, dig up the site, add 0.5 buckets of compost, 1.5 tablespoons of superphosphate and 1 tablespoon of ash for each m2. Make rows at a distance of 0.5 m from each other, dig holes at 30 cm intervals. Each nest should have no more than 3 bushes, but you can put 5 beans for insurance. Water well and compact the soil. If you are afraid of night frosts, cover the bed with a film.

Proper planting of beans is at a depth of 5 cm. If the soil layer is too thin, the sprouts may lie on the ground. If the planting is too deep, it will take a long time to wait for seedlings. In this case, the culture sometimes does not sprout at all, the grains rot in the soil.

plantation care

When the beans have already sprouted, bush varieties should be hilled so that the stems are kept straight. For curly beans, you need to arrange a support: trellises or cords going from top to bottom. You can plant a plant under fruit trees and tie twine to the branches. Legumes will fertilize the soil for the apple tree, and it will protect the whip from the wind. Do not take slippery materials as a support for the stems: metal, plastic: the whips will slip off them. Other tall crops (corn, sunflower) are suitable as a support, just make sure that the plants do not infect the same diseases and pests.

You can drive a stake in the area, tie pieces of twine to its top and strengthen them on the ground around the circumference. Plants will braid the cords, and you get an Indian wigwam for children's games.

For irrigation, you need to use rain or settled water. The temperature of the liquid should not differ much from the ambient air. If you brought water from a well or an underground container, do not immediately pour it under the bush, let it warm up.

If you want to get a rich harvest, water the beans according to the correct pattern.

• After planting, water no more than 1 time in 7 days. How much water you need, determine for yourself: the soil should be moderately moist, but not soaked.
• When the fifth leaf appears, stop watering.
• When flowers appear, resume watering as after planting.
• Gradually increase the amount of fluid and reduce the intervals between waterings. Before the formation of pods, moisture should be doubled and more often.

Care also includes fertilizing the beds. Top dressing begins after the appearance of a real leaf. During this period, the plant needs fertilizers with a high content of phosphorus. When the buds begin to appear, pour the garden bed with a solution of potassium salt, and when forming beans, sprinkle ashes under the bushes. Legumes do not need nitrogen, they will take the required amount from the air, and with an excess of nitrates, greenery will begin to develop rapidly to the detriment of the crop. Remember that plants can absorb all the nutrients only in dissolved form, water the bed after each top dressing.

Diseases and pests of legumes

Legumes rarely get sick. Basically, improper care, contaminated soil or planting material is to blame for the occurrence of diseases. To avoid infection, do not plant the same crops in the same area for several years. Well helps the development of immunity soaking in boric acid. As soon as the beans have sprouted and after harvesting, you can treat the soil with the Fitosporin disinfectant. If the disease appears, dig up and burn the damaged plants, and treat the soil and other plantings with Bordeaux mixture.

There are 3 main legume diseases.

1. Viral mosaic. When infected, dead patches appear on the leaves.
2. Bacteriosis. Not only causes the death of this season's plantings, but also remains in the soil for many years.
3. Anthracnose. Brown spots appear on the leaves, then the affected areas turn yellow and holes.

Beans are dangerous pests: scoops, the larvae of which eat greens, and bean weevil, which lives in beans. Larvae can be controlled with insecticides. To prevent caryopsis from entering the site, sort out the seed, plant only undamaged beans that have been previously treated with boric acid, and arrange for proper care of the plantation.

Harvest and storage

Both green pods and ripe beans are suitable for food. 15 days after flowering, young fruits can be harvested. It is better to cut the pods with scissors in the morning. At this time, they gain the maximum amount of moisture and become juicy. You can eat green beans fresh, in salads, or cook vegetable dishes.

The grains are harvested when the pods are dry. Cut off the stems and hang them by the bottom in a dry area with good air circulation. After 15 days, the pods will open easily, and the grains will easily separate from the cuttings. If necessary, dry the crop, and then store it in jars under the lids. For seeds, only fruits from the bottom of the bushes are suitable. Choose the strongest and most productive plants without signs of disease, collect the grains and store them on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.

Roots do not need to be dug. Special nodules on the underground part of the plants will continue their work. Biological processes enrich the soil with nitrogen. The remaining root system will decompose before the next season and turn into organic fertilizer.

Growing beans indoors

Grain varieties in cold regions do not have time to yield. For this area, growing beans at home or in greenhouses is more suitable. A bush variety is more suitable for indoors; it does not need a lot of room for growth. If you have tall windows, you can also plant curly ones.

The container for the plants must be chosen deep so that the roots can develop properly. Fill the boxes with a mixture of peat, sand and compost with the addition of complex fertilizers. For climbing varieties, provide supports 1.5 m high. Watering and care is carried out in the same way as for planting in open ground.

Indoor plants do not have enough light. Arrange lighting with fluorescent lamps so that the "day" for the beans lasts at least 12 hours. Please note that grain yield at home will be low. This option is more suitable for getting young pods, although you will not get as many of them as in the garden.

Conclusion

Growing beans in open ground is best done in the southern regions. The term of crop maturation in grain varieties can exceed 100 days. If you plant seeds in June, the harvest will begin in mid-September. Find out if the warm weather in your area will last until early autumn. When buying planting material, choose the types of local selection, they are more adapted to the conditions of your territory. Grains must be soaked before planting, they do not germinate when dry.

Bean care includes watering according to a special pattern. In each period of development, plants need a different amount of moisture. Be careful, the volume of the crop depends on it. If everything is done correctly, in the middle of summer you will be full of young pods, and before the onset of frost, you will create a supply of grains for the whole winter.

Starting to lay out the garden before the new season, you are considering how it is more convenient to place all the necessary vegetable crops, where to place a bed with onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, etc. At the same time, in most cases, gardeners do not even remember planting beans.

But leguminous, asparagus and grain for the body! Packed with fiber, vegetable protein, and essential vitamins and minerals, this legume definitely deserves a spot on your yard. Moreover, planting beans can easily be carried out along the fence, around the house, between the rows of potatoes and cabbage, or under fruit trees and shrubs, without requiring separate beds.

By planting beans on your plot, you will immediately kill two birds with one stone: you will harvest tasty and healthy beans and at the same time prepare the best conditions for growing vegetables next season, because this legume saturates the soil with nitrogen.

Video about growing beans

Choosing a place for beans depends on what variety you are going to grow. Bush beans are most conveniently planted in beds or between rows of cabbage and potatoes, and weaving beans will feel great anywhere - the main thing is that there is a support nearby that can be braided (pole, sunflowers, corn, shrubs, trees or fence).

Preparing the soil and bean seeds

Legumes grow and produce best in fertile, well-drained, light soils. If the earth is clayey in your area, and groundwater is close, the beans may not grow at all.

To increase the yield of beans, before planting seeds, compost or humus is introduced into the ground, you can additionally use ammonium nitrate as a fertilizer and add a mixture of superphosphate and potassium chloride. An excess of nitrogen in the soil will lead to increased growth of green mass in beans, to the detriment of the development of pods.

To increase the yield of beans, compost or humus is introduced into the ground before planting seeds.

Sowing of bean seeds begins already in April-May, but since seedlings hatch in a week, and frosts in early May are not uncommon, it is recommended to pre-treat the beans before planting the beans. Seed treatment is as follows:

• carefully check the beans for diseased, substandard and grinder damage and sort out quality seeds;
• to speed up germination, it is better to soak the seeds overnight in melted water (just do not leave the beans in the water for more than 15 hours so that they do not “choke”);
• before planting, dip the swollen beans for five minutes in a warm aqueous solution of boric acid and ammonium - this will protect the bean seedlings from nodule weevil.

Planting beans and further plant care

When the air temperature rises to 15 degrees, and the likelihood of night frosts will come to naught, you can start planting bean seeds. The optimal depth for planting beans in the ground is considered to be a depth of five centimeters, too deep planting will slow down germination and lead to the likelihood of rotting beans, and too shallow will cause seedlings to lodging.

When planting semi-curly and climbing varieties in the garden, place a two-meter trellis

When sowing bush varieties, leave about 20 cm between the seeds, the next row is sown at a distance of 40 cm from the previous one, the beans are planted in a checkerboard pattern. More than four rows is undesirable.

When planting semi-climbing and climbing varieties in the garden, place a two-meter trellis, dig in two poles and stretch twine or wire between them, and sow the seeds on both sides of the trellis. The distance between the beans is maintained at 30 cm. You can plant curly beans in nests, lowering five beans into one hole, then instead of a trellis you will need to drive a peg into the ground, around which the plants will subsequently curl. Just don't use a plastic or metal support as the beans won't be able to catch on it.

After sowing the beans, water the bed and compact it with the back of the rake. To protect from night frosts, cover the crops with a covering material. When seedlings appear, it is recommended to spud them to give the plants stability.

After sowing the beans, water the bed and compact it with the back of the rake

Further care for beans:

• before flowering, the sprouts are watered no more than once a week (excess moisture leads to leaf growth) in dry weather;
• with the advent of flowers and bean pods, watering is doubled;
• after each watering of the beans or rain, the aisle must be loosened;
• remove weeds as they appear;
• the first feeding with superphosphate is carried out during the formation of the first true leaf, the second time the beans are fed with potassium salt during budding;
• when the plants reach two meters in height, they need to be pinched from above to stimulate the appearance of ovaries.

How and when to harvest beans

The taste of the beans is greatly influenced by the time of harvest, so if you want to get tasty beans, do not miss the right time, and try to pick the pods in the morning while they are saturated with night moisture. Bean pods are cut with scissors or abruptly cut off, holding the stem with the other hand.

Video about picking beans

Harvesting of beans begins two weeks after the appearance of flowers and is carried out every two days until all the “shoulders” have matured. Here it is important to consider in what form you are going to use the beans? If you are interested in the pods along with the shells, pick them up while the shells look green and juicy, and their length does not exceed five centimeters. If you need the beans themselves for cooking, the beans are harvested during the milky maturity of the "shoulders", when they reach their maximum size and best taste. Already blackened pods are harvested for seeds.

Not only is the correct planting of beans and timely harvesting important, it is also necessary to properly prepare the beans for storage. To do this, the ripe beans are threshed and dried on paper, after which they are stored in containers with a tightly fitting lid so that the fruits do not turn out to be spoiled by insects.

Beans are certainly consumed both in conservation and freezing. And the number of admirers of the first and second courses with her participation can be sincerely envied. In addition, it will not require practically any wild energy costs, and the family will have enough harvest for their eyes. You will learn how to properly grow bean beans in the open field, how to effectively care for and store them, you will learn from this article prepared by the editors of the website.

Description and types of beans

The bean plant (lat. Phaseolus) belongs to the type genus of the legume family, which includes about 90 species growing in warm regions of the entire planet. From the Greek phaseolus is translated as "boat, canoe", apparently because the beans of the beans resemble a boat in outline.

The Spanish Franciscan monk and preacher Bernardino de Sahagun, who worked and lived in Mexico in the 16th century, in his work “The General History of the Affairs of New Spain” described the testimony of the Aztecs about the properties of beans and the diversity of its species, since Latin America is considered the birthplace of this plant. . Beans were brought to Russia from France and Turkey in the 16th century and were first grown as an ornamental plant.

Today, many-flowered, or fiery red beans (Phaseolus coccineus), with beautiful fiery flowers, which are most often called Turkish beans, are popular in garden floriculture. In the 18th century, beans began to be grown as a garden crop. Of the types of beans cultivated today, the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is the most popular with all the variety of its varieties and varieties that are grown for seeds and fruits.

Beans are in the top 10 most useful vegetables, and their unpretentiousness makes the cultivation of beans in the open field accessible even to a young gardener. However, planting beans in the ground, fertilizing beans, harvesting bean crops have their own characteristics, and they need to be known.

Types of beans

A culture from the legume family is systematized according to a number of features. The main ones are the type of plant, the size of the seeds, the taste and structure of the beans. So, according to the configuration, the beans can be curly, semi-curly, or weaving, bush. And in terms of seed size - large, medium, small seeds.

According to taste and structure, three main types of plants are distinguished:

• Shelling.
• Asparagus or sugar.
• Semi-sugar.

The types of beans also differ in the color of seeds and valves, the type of color (variegated or plain). There are perennial and annual varieties of the plant. However, researchers divide the whole variety of culture species into two main groups - Phaseolus L, either American and Vigna Savi, or Asian. As can be understood from the name, they differ in geography of distribution.

In Russia, American varieties of beans are especially popular. Their characteristic features are large beans of a characteristic shape, short pods. Whereas Asian varieties are endowed with small seeds, long pods.

Russian buyers are most familiar with four types of beans:

• Red - perfectly saturates, positively affects the functioning of the digestive system, strengthens the immune system.
• White - rich in iron, calcium, thanks to which it strengthens teeth and bones.
• Yellow - includes many vitamins and minerals, suitable for use in different forms: boiled, fried, or cheese.
• Purple or Georgian is a nutritious product that changes its color during cooking.

Planting and growing

When planting beans for high-quality seed germination, it is necessary to take into account the temperature of the soil and the surrounding air, calculate the timing and choose a place for planting, properly prepare and soak the seeds, following the sowing scheme and technology.

seed processing

Before you plant beans, you should prepare the seed. In order for ground cooling not to cause damage to young sprouts, it is important to carry out hardening. Initially, the seeds are subject to visual control by the vegetable grower, in which empty, shriveled and questionable seeds are sifted.

After sorting the seeds, they should be sown immediately on the garden bed, in turn, additional processing can be done before sowing. So, for example, soaking in clean water is used for no more than overnight. If the seed is not subjected to processing in production, then it is influenced by a weak disinfectant solution of potassium permanganate (1–2%), the seeds are kept in it for 20–25 minutes.

We emphasize that those seeds that are not soaked before planting are more resistant to cold weather, since they do not germinate immediately, unlike soaked seeds.

Place and soil

Excellent soil aeration, deep groundwater, high light levels - these are the conditions under which planting and care in the open field will bring serious results when growing beans. It is best to sow a vegetable on a loamy area with neutral acidity located on a windless side.

In autumn, the soil in the area where it is planned to plant beans in open ground should be dug up to a depth of 24-25 centimeters. If necessary, disinfect the garden with potassium permanganate and liming. The increase in productivity will be facilitated by the introduction of mineral and organic fertilizers.

Landing Time

Beans are a heat-loving crop, in this regard, they should be planted in open ground along with cucumbers when the air temperature warms up to + 8-10 degrees Celsius, and the threat of return frosts has passed. Thus, the optimal time for sowing beans is May-June, depending on the properties of your climate. In the Middle lane a little earlier - by the 2nd half of May, in the Urals and Siberia - closer to June. If you sow beans in a greenhouse, then this should be done earlier, starting as early as April.

According to the lunar calendar in 2019

If you want, it is much easier to refer to the lunar calendar for exact dates. So, for example, in 2019, favorable days for planting beans in open ground or a greenhouse are:

• April - 6-13, 15-17, 29, 30;
• May - 6-10, 12-17;
• June - 1, 2, 5, 6, 11-13.

In fact, it’s not so scary if you sow beans on other dates, the most important thing is not to plant dates on negative dates according to the lunar calendar, and this is in 2019:

• March - 6, 7, 21;
• April - 5, 19;
• May - 5, 19;
• June - 3, 4, 17.

Landing scheme in the ground

To extract a good harvest of this legume, it is necessary not only to sow seeds in a timely manner, but also correctly:

• The gap between seeds in a row should be at least 10-25 centimeters, depending on the size of the seeds and the growth rate of future plants.
• The gap between rows should be at least 25 centimeters (for varieties with a low growth rate) and up to 50 centimeters (for varieties with a fast growth rate).
• The depth of the seeds in light soils should not be more than four centimeters and in heavy soils - three centimeters.

Beans, in addition to the ordinary method, can be sown in a nested way. To do this, 3-5 seeds are sown in nests according to the scheme: the horizontal distance between the nests is 30 centimeters, the vertical distance is not less than 35 centimeters.

It is advisable to plant curly bean varieties near pre-prepared supports, or on the southern part of the beds with sunflower or corn. Thus, it will be possible to harvest 30% more crops. In addition, the bean pods will be far from the soil, which will facilitate their much better growth and preservation from insects and adverse weather conditions.

Getting a good harvest of beans directly depends on the timing of planting and the quality of sowing. Therefore, every gardener should know when to sow bean seeds. This will avoid unnecessary losses and get a good harvest of legumes.

Bean planting care

loosening

The soil needs to be loosened from the very emergence of shoots. We do this carefully so as not to spoil the root system and not accidentally pull out the beans themselves. In the future, loosening between the beds can be combined with weeding.

Loosening the soil is especially important if it tends to dry out and is difficult to pass water. Let me remind you that the plant does not like waterlogging. If moisture does not seep through, the yield level will not be the best. Why weeding is needed, you, no doubt, understand yourself.

Watering

For beans, harmonic watering is very important. However, you should not overdo it with it. It is enough to water once a week. Before flowers appear on the bushes, the volume of water is calculated at the rate of six liters per square meter.

During the period of pod formation and flowering, the amount of water should be at least doubled. If watering is not enough, then this can lead to the death of flowers and ovaries. Also, the lack of watering will be felt in the taste of bean fruits.

Excess moisture is also harmful. This leads to intensive growth of leaves on the bushes and delays the growth and formation of pods, which also affects the level of yield.

For a long time, beans have been planted in open ground in Ukraine, Russia and other countries, and every year the methods of planting and growing are improving and improving. This helps in the end to get an excellent harvest of this useful crop, from which you can concoct a lot of healthy and dietary dishes.

top dressing

When the first strong leaf develops, the plant takes the first feeding of superphosphate at the rate of 30 grams per square meter. The next top dressing for beans - potassium salt (15 grams per square meter) - is added during the formation of buds.

Important! It is not necessary to feed the beans with nitrogen fertilizers, she gets them herself, and an excess can lead to a strong growth of green mass at a loss to the fruits.

Support

Low bush varieties do not require a garter at all. For taller varieties, support may be needed. For climbing beans, supports are attached before sowing and planting holes are made next to them. The supports will anchor the plants and promote normal development and growth.

Harvesting

Harvest time has a huge impact on the taste of beans. Don't miss picking dates, try to pick the pods in the morning while they are still optimally saturated with moisture. Cut the bean pods with scissors, carefully holding the stem with your hand.

Harvesting of beans is carried out two weeks after the opening of the flowers and repeated every two days, until all the pods are ripe.

If you need pods with flaps, then harvest them until the flaps are juicy and green, and their length does not exceed five centimeters. If you need the beans themselves, then the beans are harvested during their maturity, when they reach their maximum size and taste. Blackened pods must be collected for new seed material.

Bean storage

Freshly cut green beans do not last long, as the beans use up moisture very quickly and become unsuitable for food and processing. In order to preserve the taste, beans should be stored in a refrigerator with a relative humidity of 85-90%. Green pods lend themselves perfectly to freezing, canning.

Cut bean bushes can be kept in special vegetable stores, hanging in whole bunches directly from the stems to the ceiling. In this way, mice will not reach them, and the beans will become very well ventilated, and there will be less opportunity for them to be affected by harmful pathogens.

Pests and diseases

How to cultivate beans in the country and protect them from diseases and pests? The most common plant diseases are viral mosaic, bacteriosis and anthracnose. Unfortunately, it is impossible to fight the first one: if the plant is sick, it should be dug up and burned. This disease can be prevented by observing the rules of agricultural technology, crop rotation and care.

In the case of anthracnose and bacteriosis, fungicides can help, but the listed rules must also be observed. Bordeaux liquid may be suitable as a means of struggle. In the role of preventive treatments, use "Fitosporin", the treatment is carried out twice: after harvesting and before flowering.

Scoops and bean grains are considered pests of beans. You can prevent the appearance of the first if you carry out a deep digging of the soil on the site. If prevention has not helped, treat the area with a solution of Bitoxibacillin or Gomelin. To prevent the occurrence of grains, it is necessary to process and soak bean seeds before sowing.

Secrets of bean farming

Like other vegetables, beans have their own tricks in growing. By following these simple steps, you can reap an impressive harvest:

• If you choose a low-growing variety of beans, then by planting it under a film shelter you will get a harvest earlier.
• Water the beans competently - before flowering 1 time per week, during flowering and fruit formation - more often and thicker.
• For the prevention of fungal diseases on beans, perform pre-sowing seed treatment with copper solutions.