{"id":1132,"date":"2019-09-01T02:56:26","date_gmt":"2019-09-01T02:56:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/?p=1132"},"modified":"2019-10-07T02:19:17","modified_gmt":"2019-10-07T02:19:17","slug":"beans-pole-and-bush","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/2019\/09\/01\/beans-pole-and-bush\/","title":{"rendered":"Beans, Pole and Bush"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Phaseolus<\/em> <\/em>vulgaris<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction<\/strong>: The bean was first domesticated over 6000 years in Central and\nSouth America and its use had spread over much of North America before\nEuropeans arrived. It is now a very important crop around the world, as beans\nare the most important source of protein for many people on earth (black beans,\nkidney beans, pinto beans and others). A number of other species also yield\nimportant beans crops (in the Phaseolus, Vigna, Vicia<\/em> and Glycine<\/em> genera), but this is the most important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beans are important to gardeners for another reason too, they\n(like most members of the Fabaceae<\/em>) have a symbiotic\nrelationship with nitrogen fixing bacteria. This means that beans can actually\nadd nitrogen to the soil they grow in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pole Beans<\/strong>: These are the original beans and are\ngenerally more productive than bush beans because there is more photosynthetic\narea for food production (some may grow to 10 ft or more in height). They are\nalso more interesting visually and take up less horizontal space in the garden.\nThey also bear for a longer period and there is less damage from pests such as\nslugs. They are easier to harvest too. All of these features makes pole beans\nmore useful for the home gardener than bush beans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The big drawback to pole beans is that you have to give them\nsomething to climb up, which means an extra step (more work) in growing them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bush Beans<\/strong>: These were developed\nfor commercial growers who didn\u2019t want to have to support the plants. They tend\nto bear earlier than the pole types, though not so abundantly. They are more\ncompact as a crop (only to 3 ft maximum) and easier to deal with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
About Beans<\/strong>  <\/strong>

Seed facts<\/strong>
Germ temp: 60 (80) 85\u02daF
Germ time: 6 – 18 days
16 days \/ 59\u02daF
11 days \/ 68\u02daF
8 days \/ 77\u02daF * Optimum
6 days \/ 86\u02daF
Seed viability: 3 years
Germination percentage: 75+
Weeks to grow transplants: 3 – 4  <\/strong>

Planning facts<\/strong>
Hardiness: Tender
Growing temp: 60 (70 – 75) 85\u02daF
Plants per person: 10 – 20
Plants per sq ft: 9
Start in: on the last frost date
Plant out: 4 wks after last frost
Direct sow: 4 wks after last frost
Succession sow: every 3 weeks  <\/strong>

Harvest facts<\/strong>
Days to harvest:               
Dry beans: 85 – 115 days                 
Green beans: 60 days
Harvest period: 4 – 8 wks
Yield per plant: 1 oz
Yield per sq ft: \u00be lb green   
                         1 oz dry  <\/strong> <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n

Crop\nvalue<\/strong>: When gardeners talk about beans in the\ngarden they usually mean green beans, but these plants have a lot more to offer\nthan a green vegetable. From a self-sufficiency standpoint few crops can match\nthe dry beans. They are\ntasty, easy to grow, drought tolerant, need little attention, enrich the soil\nthey grow in, are easy to process and prepare and can be stored for several\nyears. What more could you ask for in one crop?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large bean patch enables you to\nproduce a nutritious high protein food with relatively little effort, and give\nyou one of the best ways to increase your self-reliance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ease of growing<\/strong>:\nBeans are an undemanding crop and do well almost everywhere, so long as it\nisn\u2019t too cool. You have to really work at it to fail with beans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nutritional content<\/strong>: Green beans\nare rich in iron, potassium and silicon and well as a multitude of\nantioxidants. They contain about 140 calories per pound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dry beans\nare rich in protein, soluble fiber (which can lower blood cholesterol levels),\ncomplex carbohydrates, thiamine, niacin, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium,\nphosphorus and potassium. They contain about 1400 calories per pound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beans are\nsomewhat deficient in the amino acid methionine, which is why they were\ntraditionally eaten with methionine rich corn (2 parts corn to one part beans).\n
\n
\nBeans also contain a trypsin inhibitor, but this is destroyed by heat (which <\/p>\n\n\n\n

is why\nbeans must be cooked to make them fully edible).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Climate: <\/strong>Beans are\nvery much a warm weather crop and prefer a growing temperature between 70\u02daF – 85\u02daF. They grow poorly below 60\u02daF\n(cool wet weather also encourages various diseases). On the other hand they\ndon\u2019t like intense heat. Temperatures above 85\u02daF\ncan slow growth and cause flowers to drop rather than setting pods\n(especially if they are stressed by lack of water too).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soil<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

pH 6.0 (6.5-7.0) 7.5<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beans grow best in  a light,\nwell-drained loamy soil (not too heavy), with lots of organic matter. It should\nbe fairly fertile for best growth, and also fairly neutral. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The soil doesn\u2019t have to be very rich in nitrogen as they can fix\ntheir own. In fact they won\u2019t do this is \nnitrogen if it is already abundant in the soil. However it should have\ngood quantities of potassium, phosphorus and other nutrients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beans are sometimes planted after a crop that was heavily manured,\nor after a winter cover crop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soil preparation<\/strong>: Incorporate any amendments into the top 6\u02dd – 8\u02dd of soil, as this\nis where most of the plants feeder roots are located. Beans dislike acid soil,\nso add lime if necessary, or wood ashes (beans love wood ashes). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inoculation<\/strong>: It is important to understand that the bean plants themselves\ndon\u2019t fix nitrogen. They simply play host to nitrogen fixing Rhizobium<\/em> bacteria that live in nodules on their roots. If the right strain\nof bacteria isn\u2019t present in the soil, no nitrogen will be fixed and the bean\nplants will take it out of the soil for their own use, just like any other\nplant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have grown beans in the past 3 – 5 years, there are\nprobably enough bacteria already in the soil for good root nodulation and you\ndon\u2019t need to inoculate. If you haven\u2019t grown them recently, you can ensure it\nis available by inoculating the seeds with the appropriate bacteria. This\ngreatly increases nitrogen fixation and can boost yields by as much as 60%. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inoculant is a living organism and doesn\u2019t last indefinitely. For\nbest results keep the packet in a cool dark place and use it before its\nexpiration date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How<\/strong>: The\nsimplest way to inoculate the beans is to moisten them with water (some people\nadd a little molasses to the water to help the inoculant adhere) and then roll\nthem in the inoculant powder. Some gardeners then roll the inoculated seeds in\nbone meal, or colloidal phosphate, supposedly to supply phosphorus and to\nprotect the inoculant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planning<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where<\/strong>: Beans are fairly tender plants and prefer a warm sunny spot.\nTall pole beans are vulnerable to being blown over, so should be sheltered from\nhigh winds. Bush beans are less demanding and are often interplanted between\nslower growing, but more space hungry crops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When<\/strong>: Beans originated in the tropics and can\u2019t stand cold weather. If\nthe seeds are planted in cold soil they will often rot before they get around\nto germinating. Don\u2019t plant them out until all frost danger is past and the\nsoil is warm (60\u02daF is a minimum and 80\u02daF is much better). This may be 4 weeks\nafter the last frost date. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to get an early crop, you may have to warm the soil\nbeforehand, with cloches or plastic mulch (and possibly start them inside).\nRaised beds also help because they warm up faster than flat ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Succession<\/strong> sowing<\/strong>: Beans can produce a lot of\nfood in a short time, especially the bush types. This is fine for dry beans, or\nif you plan on freezing them for later use, but can also be a problem. For\nfresh eating you really want a modest and continuous harvest, preferably over a\nlong period of time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The way to get a sustained yield is to sow small quantities of\nplants in succession every 2 – 3 weeks, until mid summer. Pole beans bear for a\nlonger period than bush beans, so can be sown less frequently. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To grow dry\nbeans you plant them all at once, as soon as the soil is warm enough. They need\na longer period of warm weather for the green pods to mature into dry beans.\nThey are not at all hardy and any frost will kill them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planting<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pre-planting\ntreatment<\/strong>: In\nwarm weather some people soak the seed overnight prior to planting (this is not\na good idea if the soil is cool). The best way to do this is put the seed on a\nwet paper towel, so they can absorb the moisture at their leisure. Submerging\nthem in water may cause them to absorb water too quickly and can apparently\ncause problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A good way to improve germination in\ncool conditions is to pre\u2011sprout the seeds indoors. The seed can then germinate\nin optimally warm conditions and could save you 10 days or more. You then plant\nout the already germinated seeds, being very careful not to damage the tender\nroots. Don\u2019t forget to inoculate them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starting indoors<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You usually only start beans inside if\nyou need to get them started early, or if you want to avoid hungry early birds.\nGrowing beans from transplants is a lot more work than direct sowing and they\ndislike the root disturbance involved, If the soil is warm enough the large\nseeds germinate and grow so fast outdoors that direct sown plants often catch\nup to transplanted ones anyway. It always surprises me to see six packs of bean\nplants for sale in the garden center when it is better, cheaper and just as easy\nto direct sow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How<\/strong>:\nStart the seed indoors\nin soil blocks or cell packs (they don\u2019t like root disturbance so avoid flats).\nIf the germination percentage of the seeds is high, sow one seed in each cell.\nIf germination is not so good, plant two seeds and thin to the best one after\nthey have both germinated. Don\u2019t forget to inoculate them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Direct sowing <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beans are usually direct sown as it is a\nlot less work than transplanting. This is particularly important if you are\nsowing a large area for dry beans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How<\/strong>:\nPole beans are best\nsown in long rows down the bed, as it\u2019s easier to support them. Simply make a\nfurrow at the required depth, lay  your\nseeds evenly in the bottom and pull the soil back into the furrow. Of course you\ncan also plant them around whatever supports you have provided, using a similar\nmethod. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bush beans are usually planted in offset\nrows across the bed, an equal distance apart. I start by placing the seeds on\ntop of the prepared seedbed, at the correct spacing. When I am satisfied that\nthey are all correctly spaced, I simply push them down into the soil with my\nfinger and close up the small hole. Of course the seeds should be inoculated as\ndescribed above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Depth<\/strong>: The depth of planting varies according\nto the soil temperature and moisture content. They should be planted 1\u02dd deep in\ncold, moist soil and 2\u02dd (or even 3\u02dd) deep in warm, dry soil. The deeper\nplanting ensures they get enough moisture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thinning<\/strong>: It is common to sow\nroughly twice as many seeds as you need plants and thin to the approximate\nspacing after they have all emerged. The best way to remove the extra plants is\nby pinching them out as this doesn\u2019t disturb those remaining. Always remove the\ninferior plants and leave the best ones (obviously!). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spacing<\/strong>: The biggest factor in determining spacing is whether they are\nbush or pole varieties. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have given a range of planting distances because it varies with\ncircumstances (soil fertility, moisture availability). A close spacing means\nmore plants, but each one will be less productive than at a wider spacing.\nBeware of overcrowding which can result in poor air circulation and possible\ndisease problems. You need to experiment a little to find the ideal spacing for\nyour plants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bush<\/strong>: Space\nthe plants 3\u02dd to 5\u02dd apart both ways in the beds. If you want to grow in rows\nthen put them 4\u02dd – 6\u02dd apart, with 18\u02dd between the rows<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pole<\/strong>: These are best grown in rows, down the\nmiddle of the bed, as this makes it easier to support them (you can interplant\na low growing crop in the vacant space). You want the plants to be 3\u02dd – 6\u02dd\napart, with 18\u02dd between the rows. You could also space them like bush beans, 6\u02dd\nto 8\u02dd apart in offset rows across the beds, but this makes them harder to\nsupport. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you plan\non using a teepee of poles for support, then plant 4 – 6 seeds around each\npole. When these have germinated, thin to leave the best 3 – 4 plants at each\npole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Care<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beans are pretty easy plants to grow and most of the care they\nneed is in watering and weeding when young. Native Americans sometimes used to\nleave their plants for weeks at a time to pretty much grow themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weeds<\/strong>: Young bean plants can\u2019t compete with weeds very well, so it\u2019s\nimportant to keep down weeds initially. They are quite shallow rooted, so be\ncareful not to damage them if you use a hoe. Widely spaced pole beans may\nbenefit from a mulch to keep weeds down, but bush beans cover the soil pretty\nwell by themselves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Water<\/strong>: A lack of water in hot weather will affect the set of the pods,\nso make sure they are well watered at this time. The most critical time is when\nthey are flowering and sizing up their pods. Keep the soil evenly moist, but\ndon\u2019t over water as this can lead to disease problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Try and avoid wetting the leaves when watering, as mildew and\nfungus diseases can be spread in this way. The best way to irrigate is with\ndrip or soaker hose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dry beans are quite drought tolerant and do well as a dry farmed\ncrop, (grown with no irrigation), though yields will be slightly lower. The\nplants should be spaced further apart, to lessen competition between plants and\nto give their roots more soil to extract water from. Try spacing them  9 – 12\u02dd apart and see how it works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fertilization<\/strong>: Bush beans don\u2019t usually need feeding, as they aren\u2019t in the\nground for very long. Pole beans may benefit from a feed of compost tea or\nliquid seaweed, every 3 – 4 weeks. This is particularly helpful when they start\nto flower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pollination<\/strong>: Beans are generally self-pollinated, so it usually happens\npretty much automatically. However if the temperature is much above 85\u02daF the\nflowers may drop off instead of being fertilized. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mulch<\/strong>: This is often used to cover the soil under widely spaced pole\nbeans, as it conserves moisture and keeps down weeds. Don\u2019t apply it until the\nsoil is warm though. Bush beans tend to cover the ground pretty effectively and\ndon\u2019t really need it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

       Support<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pole beans often reach 8 feet or more in height so need a sturdy\nsupport. This should be put in place when planting, so you don\u2019t damage the\ngrowing seedlings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A good\nsupport is a teepee of tall sturdy wooden or bamboo poles. Use poles at least 8\nft long and tie them together at a height of about 5 ft, so the tops spread out\nand the plants don\u2019t get so congested. Their height really depends on how\nvigorous your beans are. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another good trellis can be made with pairs of tall poles, 2 ft\napart at the base. A row of these is connected at the top to a long crossbar.\nI\u2019m not sure I\u2019m explaining this very well, but look at the picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An arch can\nbe made by planting two rows of supple poles (willow is good) and bending over\nand tying the tops. These are then connected with long crosspieces to tie the\nwhole thing together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the\neasiest field scale supports (for large plantings) consists of 8 ft metal T\nposts, with a \u00bc\u02dd nylon rope at the top, supporting horticultural netting (or\nchicken wire netting).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many other\nkinds of supports can be devised for supporting pole beans. chicken wire,\nbamboo canes, hog fencing and string have all been used. I like to use wire\nfencing, simply because its less work than most other arrangements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whatever you use should have a fairly rough texture so the plants\ncan get a grip and twine around (if it is too smooth they may slip down).  It is also important that the support is\nstrong enough, as the total mass of vegetation can get quite heavy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pea sticks\n(see Peas<\/strong>) are\nanother easy solution that doesn\u2019t require you to buy anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three Sisters<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The traditional Native American support for beans was corn or\nsunflowers. This was a good solution for a pre-industrial people who didn\u2019t\nhave access to string, wire or metal tools to cut poles. They simply grew the\nsupports they needed and obtained food from them at the same time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to try this, you must make sure the corn has made enough\ngrowth, so that the beans don\u2019t overwhelm it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They also planted squash to cover and make use\nof the open ground between the corn hills. This very efficient growing system\nwas known as the three sisters and was widely practiced by many tribes. See Corn for more\non this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Problems<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pests<\/strong>: Though beans are an attractive food source\nfor many creatures (especially in warm weather), they are pretty vigorous\nplants and are rarely seriously affected by most pests. A young plant can lose\nas much as 50% of its <\/strong>leaves and still recover completely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mexican Bean Beetles<\/strong>: These are a potentially serious pest and can quickly get out of\ncontrol (watch for their yellow eggs). A traditional remedy was to interplant\nwith potatoes, garlic or nasturtium, but I can\u2019t vouch for their effectiveness.\nHand picking works well for small numbers of plants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cutworms<\/strong>: Will often go for the emerging seedlings. See Cabbage for ways to deal with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aphids<\/strong>: If these are a problem, blast them with a jet of water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other pests<\/strong>: Bean leaf beetle, <\/em>bean weevils,  wireworms,\nleafhoppers, tarnished plant bugs, leaf miners, flea beetles, mites, cucumber\nbeetles, green stink bugs, whiteflies and caterpillars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Birds and mice will often go for the newly planted seed, or\nseedlings, especially in spring. Net the beds and \/ or get a cat or dog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Disease<\/strong>: In areas with lots of summer rain beans are prone to a\nnumber of bacterial, fungal\nand viral diseases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can reduce the incidence of disease\nproblems by careful rotation. Clean up crop debris after harvest (or\nincorporate into soil). Avoid poorly drained soil, give the plants good air\ncirculation and watch for disease vectors such as aphids and leafhoppers. Also\nchoose resistant varieties when available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anthracnose, halo blight and bean mosaic are serious diseases and\nmay be seed borne, so watch out where your seed comes from and discard any\nunhealthy looking seed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bacterial blight, leaf\nspot, curly top virus, downy mildew powdery mildew, white mold and rust\ncan all be a problem under certain conditions. It is important to keep the\nfoliage dry and don\u2019t work around the wet plants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frost: <\/strong>Bean plants are very tender and are usually killed by frost. Don\u2019t\nplant until after frost danger is past and harvest before frost kills the\nplants (or cover to protect).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harvest<\/strong>ing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Snap beans<\/strong> <\/strong>(Haricot Vert)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When<\/strong>: The pods\ntake 18 – 21 days to go from pollination to full size. They are best gathered\njust as they are reaching full size, but before the beans start to swell. They\nshould still snap in half easily. Many people prefer them when they are just\nslightly smaller in diameter than a pencil. You might try harvesting the pods\nat different sizes to see which you like best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get them early enough, you can eat the immature pods of\nmany dry bean varieties as snap beans, \n(they may have strings though). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How<\/strong>: The best time to harvest is in the early morning when it is\nstill cool. Gather the pods carefully so you don\u2019t damage the plants. Hold on\nto the vine and pull down on the pod, so there is no danger of pulling the\nplant out of the ground. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best way to harvest older beans is to break off the bean just\nbelow its stem and then break sideways and pull, leaving any strings attached\nto the plant. In humid areas it\u2019s not good to harvest while the foliage is wet,\nas this can transmit disease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You must gather the green beans conscientiously whether you want\nthem or not, as the plants may stop producing when seed starts to ripen. If you\nharvest pole beans every 2 – 3 days, it is possible to keep the plants\nproducing for weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The key to large harvests is early and\nregular picking (just like life, the more you take the more you get). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the harvest gets away from you, remove all the pods of any\nsize. With luck this will encourage a new growth of pods. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shell Beans<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are harvested as soon as the beans reach full size (4 – 8\ndays after the pods reach full size), but before they toughen up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dry Beans<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the green pods\nand shell beans we get to the dry beans, which is the final stage. All beans\ncan be used as dry beans, but those grown for their pods tend to be smaller\nthan those grown specifically for dry beans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When<\/strong>: If you live in a warm and dry climate the beans can be left to\ndry completely on the vine. They are gathered after the pods are dry and\nleathery and you can hear the seeds rattle inside. Farmers start harvesting when the moisture content drops to 18%. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How<\/strong>: You can gather small quantities of pods individually, but this\nis a little time consuming to be practical for larger harvests. If you have a\nlarge area of beans pick the whole plants and lay them on a tarp to dry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the climate is uncooperatively wet and cool you may have to cut\nwhole plants and hang then in a warm dry place to mature and dry out. Slightly\nimmature beans will ripen fully even after picking (and turn the right color).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Threshing<\/strong>: If you have a large quantity of beans they can be threshed\n(removed from the pods) by walking on the dry plants, by using your hands (you\nmay need gloves for protection), or by banging the plants inside a barrel. You\nthen need to separate the beans from the chaff (pod debris). A blower or\ncompressor can quickly blow away the chaff and leave you with clean beans,\nready for use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dry means dry<\/strong>: The threshed seeds must then be dried\nthoroughly (until they have 15% moisture or less) before storage. A completely\ndry bean is so hard it will shatter when crushed. If you can make a mark with\nyour fingernail it isn\u2019t dry enough. A simple way to see if the beans are dry\nenough is to put a few in a closed jar for a few days. If condensation forms on\nthe inside of the jar, they still contain too much moisture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there is any possibility that weevils may have got to your\nbeans, you should freeze them for a couple of days (24 hours is probably long\nenough) to kill any eggs, larvae or adults. After this treatment they should\nprobably be dried again (they may pick up moisture) before long term storage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Storage<\/strong>: Green beans may be stored in plastic bags\nin the fridge for a few days (this may be necessary if your plants are\nproducing less or more than you can use at one time). For longer storage they\ncan be dried, pickled or frozen. Shell beans can also be frozen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fully dry beans store very well in a cool\nairtight container and will stay edible for several years (thought they are\nbest when eaten within 12 months). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seed\nsaving<\/strong>: Beans are among\nthe easiest crops to save seed, you just grow them like dry beans. They are\nmostly self-pollinating, though insects may cause some cross-pollination. For\nthis reason it is best to have only one variety flowering at a time if\npossible. If this isn\u2019t possible you should separate them by growing a bed of\nother plants in between. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be aware that some viruses may be transmitted through the seed and\ntry not to gather from diseased plants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\nchoose seed from the best yielding and earliest plants you can create your own\nspecially adapted strain for your garden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unusual growing <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

ideas<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Field scale: <\/strong>Dry beans are a crop that just begs to be grown on a\nlarger scale. The more beans you plant, the more beans you harvest and the more\nbeans you eat (thus helping greatly with your self-reliance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Henry\nThoreau\u2019s\u2019 book Walden contains an interesting \naccount of growing beans as a cash crop on a small field scale. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Varieties<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beans are commonly divided into green (snap), shell and dry beans,\nwith both bush and pole types for all of these. This somewhat arbitrary\ndivision is somewhat complicated by the fact that many varieties can be used in\nmore than one way. For example some dry beans can be used as shell or green\nbeans and vice versa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other differences mainly involve the final use of the beans,\nwhether they will be used as dry beans, shell beans or green beans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Snap Beans<\/strong>: Also known as string\nbeans, French beans or green beans, they are a mainstay of the traditional\nvegetable garden. Most modern varieties don\u2019t have strings, which is why they\nare no longer referred to as string beans. Good varieties include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bush<\/strong>: Golden Wax, Jade, Provider,\nRomano, Royal Burgundy, Tendergreen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pole<\/strong>: Blue Lake Pole, Kentucky\nWonder, Romano<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 French Filet beans (Haricot\nVerts<\/strong>): These are some of the best quality\nvarieties of snap bean. The pods are harvested when very small (\u00bc\u02dd diameter or\nless) and tender. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These varieties are all outstanding:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bush: Fin De Bagnol, Nickel, Royalnel, Triomphe de Farcy, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vernandon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pole: Emerite, Fortex<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shell Beans<\/strong> Flageolets)<\/strong>: Sometimes called\nshelly beans, these are gathered when the beans reach full size, but before\nthey start to harden and mature. The soft beans are shelled out and cooked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lows Champion, Vernel<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dry Beans<\/strong> (Haricots)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are unsurpassed from a nutritional and\nself-sufficiency viewpoint, as they are a major source of easily stored\nprotein, as well as a great low work crop. Of course dry beans are also\nrelatively cheap to buy (they lend themselves to mechanization), so may not be\nworthwhile to grow unless you have a lot of space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kidney beans, pinto beans, black bean, Swedish beans and navy\nbeans are all simply different varieties of the same species. There is a mind\nboggling number of bean varieties out there and I won\u2019t even try and recommend\nany varieties. I will just say the following have all worked well for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bush<\/strong>: Anasazi, Black Turtle, Borlotto, Hutterite Soup Bean, Tigers Eye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pole<\/strong>: Cherokee Trail of Tears,\nHidatsa Shield Figure<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kitchen use<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Green beans<\/strong>: Trim the\ntops and bottoms off the pods and steam (or boil) them for a few minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flatulence: <\/strong>You can\u2019t\nreally talk about using dry beans without mentioning their unfortunate tendency\nto cause flatulence. This occurs because they contain various polysaccharides\n(complex sugars) that aren\u2019t easily digested in the small intestine because we\nlack the appropriate enzymes. Consequently they pass through into the colon,\nwhere they are broken down by various types of bacteria. In the process these  produce the smelly gas (a mix of hydrogen and\nmethane).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This problem can be reduced by soaking beans and discarding the\nwater before cooking. You can also change the water once or twice during\ncooking. Fresh beans are less of a problem than old ones. Also don\u2019t add salt\nuntil they are cooked (this also makes them tougher anyway). If you eat beans a\nlot your body may become more adapted to eating them, so this becomes less of a\nproblem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fungus Aspergillus\nniger<\/em> contains the enzyme alpha-galactosidase, which breaks down these\npolysaccharide sugars in the small intestine. This is available commercially\nunder the name \u201cBeano\u201d. I can\u2019t say I\u2019ve ever felt the need to try this though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fastest way to soak beans is to bring to boil for a few\nminutes and then leave to soak for an hour (it would take at least 4 hours in\ncold water). Then rinse and cook in fresh water, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When using beans in a recipe it is usual to cook them separately\nand then add other ingredients. Don\u2019t cook everything together from the start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Refried Beans<\/strong>  

Refried beans aren\u2019t really fried twice (or even once), it is simply a
mistranslation of reheated beans.  

1 \u00bd cups cooked beans
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Lime juice
1 teaspoon oregano  

There isn\u2019t much preparation, simply mash the beans and add the rest of the ingredients and heat. The prepared beans will keep in a container in
the fridge for up to a week. You can also add onions, peppers and other
flavorings.   <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Phaseolus vulgaris Introduction: The bean was first domesticated over 6000 years in Central and South America and its use had spread over much of North America before Europeans arrived. It … Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1670,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[240],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1132","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-seed-veg","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/pole-bean-2.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1132","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1132"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1132\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1678,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1132\/revisions\/1678"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1670"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1132"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1132"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1132"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}