Growing Beans - dwarf, also French beans, Bush beans

Phaseolus vulgaris : Fabaceae / the pea or legume family

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
				P	P

(Best months for growing Beans - dwarf in USA - Zone 5a 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

22 Oct 20, Michael (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Many thanks
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25 Apr 20, Nameer (Australia - sub-tropical climate): My French dwarf bean seedlings have light green to yellow coloured leaves, I thought they were looking anaemic, now theyve developed grey brown spots in all the leaves. They're in potting mix, I recently sprayed them with iron chelate, they get about 5 hours good sun daily. Any suggestions welcome thanks.
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27 Apr 20, (Australia - sub-tropical climate): I live sub tropical Bundaberg and I find that the bean fly hits beans in the autumn, so I grow mine in the spring. I'm on the look out to find out what to put in the soil or on the plants to stop the bean fly.
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06 Jan 21, Dan (Australia - sub-tropical climate): Have you tried making and applying garlic spray yet? Ive heard it works well to deter all chewing/sucking insects (and powdery mildew!). I would think it might also deter pollinators though, but this wouldn't be a direct problem for beans as I understand they self pollinate as the flowers open.
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21 Apr 20, Paul Tooley (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate): we live next to sea in Auckland with no frost-will sprouted dwarf beans grow through May
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22 Apr 20, Anon (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate): Go to the bean page and read when to plant beans in sub-tropical New Zealand. That is the main purpose of this web site, to find out when to plant and how to grow things.
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11 Apr 20, Jo Rosen (New Zealand - temperate climate): Hi does the frost kill dwarf beans. Wild ones are sprouting everywhere so transplanting. Am I wasting my time
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12 Apr 20, Liz at Gardenate (New Zealand - temperate climate): Yes, frost will kill your bean plants. If they are still producing beans, you could leave them until they die off then dig them in to help improve the soil.
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24 Oct 19, Phil (Australia - temperate climate): I usually have no problems growing dwarf beans. However this year I am having all sorts of problems. The seeds come up but look anemic. Yellow some hole and eventually die. I have fertilized, sprayed. Perhaps it's something in the soil. Any guidance most appreciated.
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27 Oct 19, anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate): I have a virus called tomato yellow leaf curl virus in my tomatoes. I read the other day it effects other crops, beans included. In tomatoes it is carried by silver leaf white fly. It stunts the plant and the leaves are small, curled and yellow. Could be that.
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When and if you plant your beans too closely together (or if you plant in the shade) - they will REACH for the light, becoming very leggy. Planting too close together stops the light from hitting the sides of the plant (plants in the middle are effectively in the shade with exception to the top portion), only the top portion of the plant gets sunlight and therefore the plant reaches that way.... "up". You could, if you were planting only one row provided the row ran N/S plant closely together because 2 sides get full sun (if rows run W/E the plants in the same row tend to shade each other -- plant large plants on the North side of rows that run N/S; this is Northern Hemisphere). That's why spacing is usually given as, between plants (within a row that runs N/S) and then the distance between rows (running W/E). Of course if you are planting on a steep slope, than run your rows parallel to the slope as a general rule of thumb This is the above ground portion of plant spacing. There is also the below ground portion of plant spacing: roots, water and nutrition. If you were to just look at the root (and ignore for a moment the above ground portion): tap rooted plants can be planted closer together than fibrous root plants, because the tap root goes DOWN, and fibrous spreads out and down. Companion planting takes root and sunlight requirements into account: for example: you can plant carrots AROUND a tomato plant ; because carrots don't need much light (and the tomato does), and carrots being a tap root don't interfere with the fibrous roots of the tomato plant, which just go around the carrot. Mind you when you pull the carrot you do disrupt the tomato a little; but not so much that I would be concerned. You can get more vegetables in a smaller space when you learn which plants can work as "understory" plants to others. When it comes to plant nutrition; spacing ensure there is enough soil to source the appropriate vitamins and minerals a plant requires. When planting tightly; or using companion planting you need to take into account that you are planting tighter than the recommended spacing and therefore increase the nutrition (manure/compost) in areas where tight planting is happening.

- FaithCeleste Archer

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Growing Beans - dwarf, also French beans, Bush beans

Phaseolus vulgaris : Fabaceae / the pea or legume family

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