I have always done this and thought everybody did as well. I plant one crop of bush beans for the entire season and just keep picking them. They become less vigorous as the season progresses but they keep cropping until the cold weather them off.
Here in UK we have two types of climbing (pole) bean - Climbing French Beans and Runner Beans - and we also have Dwarf French beans (Bush). I sow Dwarf French Bush early (indoors, protected) and plant out, after last frost, along the edge of the row that I will use for Climbing Beans, and then I sow the Climbers a bit later than normal (they hate the cold / wind, and as climbers their height gets them exposed before the Summer is fully here - and of course I have the Bush ones for my early crop). Once the Climbing Beans start producing I stop picking from the Bush plants, so that they mature to keep as seed. I then sow some more Bush plants around mid July, plant out mid August, for the Autumn crop. I find that the Climbing French beans stop producing a fair bit before the cold Autumn weather arrives (although Runner Beans carry on longer), and also by then the pods they produce are less tasty. Not enough time for this second Bush crop to make seed, hence why I take seed from the first crop. Before I did this I used to sow-a-seed when I planted out the climbing bean plants, so that would come on a bit later for a "second crop", amongst the first crop.
I've done that for years, in growing up 13 years in NY, 32 years in CO, and 11 years in NY again. I've never had bush beans do a "one-picking-and-done" - they always last for weeks. This year I'm also growing bush black beans from seeds I kept from a single black bean I planted last year - it was amazingly prolific, so I decided to see how they'd do if I grew a row of them. The plants aren't covered with pods like the original one from last year, but they're looking good - and the green pods are SWEETER than my other green bush beans - I may grow them next year for their green pods! Last year's summer was hot and wet, and my bush beans were the viniest I've ever seen, with many fruits overgrowing and molding on the plants because I couldn't keep them picked with all the rain. Also had lots of mouse damage, eating the beans and peas off the plants. That was the first time I'd ever had such rodent damage, and I'm still seeing it this year, although less in my own garden (first time at my home) than in my mother's garden (which I've used the past 11 years). I'm seeing some vining of my green bush beans again this year, too, despite the drought in central NY, but no mold - I'm keeping them picked every 2-3 days. After seeing the cattle panels used in the OP's trellis, I will plan on putting up some of the panels I bought earlier this year, to use as bean and pea trellises. I'm growing cukes on chain-link fence, which are doing well.
You are exactly right, Robert. I hit on this idea myself. Unfortunately, here in South Carolina it simply becomes too hot in the summer for your average green mean. So, I grow both bush and pole beans in the spring. Then, when it gets hot enough for them to start fading out, I just chop them down and compost them into the soil. Then in September, at the first sign of cooling, I plant some more of the earliest green beans I can find. These will very often grow right on through into November for us. There is a gap in summer, but I have peppers and tomatoes and other things to fill the void.
I'm having the same results as you with bush beans. They started producing in early-mid July, still am, and no signs of slowing down. Oakville, ON Zone 6.
Excellent and timely. I recently yanked my mildewy cukes and planted bush beans. It was a crap shoot… if we have extended warm weather I should have some beans. Good to know for next year! Thank you.
Sir good day, I will be planting string beans next week after I clean the garden full of squash plant. But I've noticed the roots of some squash plants have been infested with root-knot nematodes. Is there any organic way to get rid or prevent it from infecting my string beans?
My bush beans did well early summer. My pole bean flowered latter and then we had extreme hot weather. The flowers disappeared. I got just a few beans. Do you think the heat killed the flowers?
Thank you! I always did what my mother did and it’s not always the best. Maybe since she’s from southern Japan vs here in So Cal..? When I planted bush beans I had issues with bugs and other things that would kill off the beans plants. The pole beans had less issues up until we started having rats from a neighbors new orange tree that he never kept up on. He never takes not one orange because of the rats “touching” the oranges. Yet he won’t cut down the orange tree. I’ve tried to recommend some things but to no avail. Now the rats have been caught havoc in the garden. Plus I read that the rats will “remember” a food source for several years! I don’t know what to do to keep the rats from eating everything I could grow. Any advice would be appreciated.👍💖🙏🏻
I'd like to know what variety of bush bean you're planting. I suspect different bush varieties would vary in tolerance of attempts to extend their fruiting, and it would be worth an experiment. Thanks from Hardiness Zone 7a.
I thought Lima Beans were a broad bean, like Fava, so I didn't grow them bc my spring is too short, but I recently found they are much more like Green Beans?!
Question PLEASE??? 🙏When should you pick the flowers & when not to & on which plants?? 🤷♀️ I heard some plants are done with their life cycle once they flower, but you can pick the flower heads to keep them producing longer. Or to help young plants grow bigger, such as with cucumber & pepper plants. So I picked all the first flowers of my young bean plants... but then saw a vid saying to pick excess foliage to spur more flowers to grow. I'm so confused. 😒
Has anyone tried pruning the tops of pole beans? I have mine on a 9 foot tall trellis and they bunch up at the top making them hard to pick because of the height and the bunching. If the tops were pruned would it make more side shoots down lower or just at the top?
That’s a great question. I’m 5’ and not able to climb “safely”. Plus bush beans have never done well for me in several areas I’ve lived in So Cal. They get bugs and other things that make the bush bean plant wither away.
I have always done this and thought everybody did as well. I plant one crop of bush beans for the entire season and just keep picking them. They become less vigorous as the season progresses but they keep cropping until the cold weather them off.
Here in UK we have two types of climbing (pole) bean - Climbing French Beans and Runner Beans - and we also have Dwarf French beans (Bush). I sow Dwarf French Bush early (indoors, protected) and plant out, after last frost, along the edge of the row that I will use for Climbing Beans, and then I sow the Climbers a bit later than normal (they hate the cold / wind, and as climbers their height gets them exposed before the Summer is fully here - and of course I have the Bush ones for my early crop). Once the Climbing Beans start producing I stop picking from the Bush plants, so that they mature to keep as seed. I then sow some more Bush plants around mid July, plant out mid August, for the Autumn crop. I find that the Climbing French beans stop producing a fair bit before the cold Autumn weather arrives (although Runner Beans carry on longer), and also by then the pods they produce are less tasty. Not enough time for this second Bush crop to make seed, hence why I take seed from the first crop. Before I did this I used to sow-a-seed when I planted out the climbing bean plants, so that would come on a bit later for a "second crop", amongst the first crop.
I've been harvesting from my bush beans for weeks...best year ever! I don't know why but I'll take it.I picked every other day
I've done that for years, in growing up 13 years in NY, 32 years in CO, and 11 years in NY again. I've never had bush beans do a "one-picking-and-done" - they always last for weeks. This year I'm also growing bush black beans from seeds I kept from a single black bean I planted last year - it was amazingly prolific, so I decided to see how they'd do if I grew a row of them. The plants aren't covered with pods like the original one from last year, but they're looking good - and the green pods are SWEETER than my other green bush beans - I may grow them next year for their green pods!
Last year's summer was hot and wet, and my bush beans were the viniest I've ever seen, with many fruits overgrowing and molding on the plants because I couldn't keep them picked with all the rain. Also had lots of mouse damage, eating the beans and peas off the plants. That was the first time I'd ever had such rodent damage, and I'm still seeing it this year, although less in my own garden (first time at my home) than in my mother's garden (which I've used the past 11 years). I'm seeing some vining of my green bush beans again this year, too, despite the drought in central NY, but no mold - I'm keeping them picked every 2-3 days.
After seeing the cattle panels used in the OP's trellis, I will plan on putting up some of the panels I bought earlier this year, to use as bean and pea trellises. I'm growing cukes on chain-link fence, which are doing well.
You are exactly right, Robert. I hit on this idea myself. Unfortunately, here in South Carolina it simply becomes too hot in the summer for your average green mean. So, I grow both bush and pole beans in the spring. Then, when it gets hot enough for them to start fading out, I just chop them down and compost them into the soil. Then in September, at the first sign of cooling, I plant some more of the earliest green beans I can find. These will very often grow right on through into November for us.
There is a gap in summer, but I have peppers and tomatoes and other things to fill the void.
I’m in So Cal myself. What is the other bean you plant that gives out until November?
@@susana5052 early…. Blue lake bush.
I have had Dixie Pink field peas still trying in December.
I'm having the same results as you with bush beans. They started producing in early-mid July, still am, and no signs of slowing down. Oakville, ON Zone 6.
I only grew bush bean last year and they produced from July until November. I’m growing pole and bush this year as we loved em.👍🏻🤠
Yep! Done this for years. Good video !
It works in zone 7.
Excellent and timely. I recently yanked my mildewy cukes and planted bush beans. It was a crap shoot… if we have extended warm weather I should have some beans. Good to know for next year! Thank you.
Going to try this with my beans this summer. Thanks for the tips!
Thank you 🌺💚🙃
Seems like my aunt knew this trick. She would send my cousin and I to pick beans every day for that night's dinner.
Sir good day, I will be planting string beans next week after I clean the garden full of squash plant. But I've noticed the roots of some squash plants have been infested with root-knot nematodes. Is there any organic way to get rid or prevent it from infecting my string beans?
My bush beans did well early summer. My pole bean flowered latter and then we had extreme hot weather. The flowers disappeared. I got just a few beans. Do you think the heat killed the flowers?
Thank you! I always did what my mother did and it’s not always the best. Maybe since she’s from southern Japan vs here in So Cal..?
When I planted bush beans I had issues with bugs and other things that would kill off the beans plants. The pole beans had less issues up until we started having rats from a neighbors new orange tree that he never kept up on. He never takes not one orange because of the rats “touching” the oranges. Yet he won’t cut down the orange tree.
I’ve tried to recommend some things but to no avail.
Now the rats have been caught havoc in the garden. Plus I read that the rats will “remember” a food source for several years!
I don’t know what to do to keep the rats from eating everything I could grow.
Any advice would be appreciated.👍💖🙏🏻
This was very helpful! Thanks 😊
I'd like to know what variety of bush bean you're planting. I suspect different bush varieties would vary in tolerance of attempts to extend their fruiting, and it would be worth an experiment. Thanks from Hardiness Zone 7a.
I thought Lima Beans were a broad bean, like Fava, so I didn't grow them bc my spring is too short, but I recently found they are much more like Green Beans?!
Question PLEASE??? 🙏When should you pick the flowers & when not to & on which plants?? 🤷♀️ I heard some plants are done with their life cycle once they flower, but you can pick the flower heads to keep them producing longer. Or to help young plants grow bigger, such as with cucumber & pepper plants. So I picked all the first flowers of my young bean plants... but then saw a vid saying to pick excess foliage to spur more flowers to grow.
I'm so confused. 😒
Has anyone tried pruning the tops of pole beans?
I have mine on a 9 foot tall trellis and they bunch up at the top making them hard to pick because of the height and the bunching. If the tops were pruned would it make more side shoots down lower or just at the top?
That’s a great question. I’m 5’ and not able to climb “safely”. Plus bush beans have never done well for me in several areas I’ve lived in So Cal. They get bugs and other things that make the bush bean plant wither away.
yes, my bush beans keep giving me beans for months!
My experience is a tremendous first harvest and very much diminished thereafter. I do 3-4 pickings, then they are done.
Sample size of 1?
Actually several plants.
Pick them for sure and; avoid nitrogen fertilizer.
Thanks for sharing I didn’t know 🥹