Green beans are very productive

Green beans are very productive even in poor soil and are ready for the table in 7-8 weeks. You can expect about 15 pounds of beans from a single 30 foot row of bush beans.

Your choice of bush or pole beans and how many to plant will depend on the size of your family and if you intend to preserve or freeze the beans.

Bush beans take up more space but require less work planting, staking, weeding and watering. Bush beans also produce most of the crop all at once, which is great for freezing. Pole beans are very prolific and you don't have to bend over to harvest. They mature later than bush beans and bear small amounts each day but will keep producing all summer long if you keep the mature beans picked. Pole beans are best for those interested in having a pot of beans on the table every 3 or 4 days rather than those interested in preserving their beans.

Pole beans, of course, require something to climb. Plant the seed in rows 3 to 4 feet apart. Plant them in hills about 3 feet apart in the row. Place a 6- to 8-foot stake in the center of each hill. Plant three to four seeds around the stake, about 1 inch deep in the soil. As the bean vines mature, they will grow up the stake.

Another method which saves space is to take three six foot long wooden poles (don't use metal) and place them in a tripod arrangement, tying them together at the top. Plant 3 seeds around the base of each pole. This arrangement only takes about a three foot area, so you can have two of them in a six foot plot which will produce enough beans for a family of four.

To get a jump on the growing season, plant the beans indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost in peat pots. When the plants are 4 inches tall the peat pots can be planted directly in the garden without disturbing the roots.

To plant seed directly in the garden, prepare the soil by adding compost (I prefer well-aged manure) as soon as you can work the soil in the spring. Beans love the sun so be sure to plant your beans in a spot that gets at least 6-8 hours of direct sun each day.

As the beans send out long shoots, train them to climb the poles if they do not do it own their own (generally, they will). Keep them watered but not soaked. Fertilize once when the plants start climbing the poles.

For bush beans, plant the seed about 1 inch deep and 1 to 2 inches apart in the row. The rows should be 2 1/2 to 3 feet apart. After the beans are up, thin the plants to 3 to 4 inches apart