At a glance
Ease of culture: Easy
Where: All regions
Best climate: Warm conditions
When: spring, summer, autumn
Spacing: 15cm
Harvest: 8-12 weeks
pH: 6-7
Climate
• Beans are grown from spring to autumn in most areas of Australia. You can grow beans in winter in tropical zones
• Plant from mid-spring to January in cool and temperate areas – or spring and autumn in warmer areas
• Beans need at least 6 hours of sun a day
• Provide some protection from strong damaging winds
Soil
• Beans will grow in a variety of soil types, but the drainage must be good.
• Loosen soil with a fork to a depth of 30cm
• Toss in 2 full buckets of manure or compost per square metre – more for heavy clay soil
• Sprinkle a tight fistful of sulphate of potash per square metre, to assist flowering and fruiting
• A pH of 6-7 is best. If your pH is lower than 6, spread a handful of lime every square metre
• Mix your additives through with a fork and mound the soil to improve drainage
• Soak the soil and leave it to settle for a few hours before planting
Support
• Bush beans are self-supporting, but climbing beans need a frame
• Utilise old mesh fencing or timber trellis held in position with star pickets
• You can use bamboo poles to make a simple tepee frame – just grab 2-metre poles (5 or 6 will do), tie them together at the top and spread them out at the base to form a pyramid shape
• Install support frames before sowing. Align them in a north-south direction so that plants see the sun on both sides of the frame
Sowing
• Sowing seeds directly in the soil is the best method of planting beans
• Space rows 80cm apart for climbers and 50cm for bush varieties
• Use the handle of your rake to mark a line on the soil, then drag a trowel along the line to create a furrow 5cm deep
• Dribble seeds along the rows 10-15cm apart. For tepees, plant 3-4 seeds at the base of each pole
• Cover the seeds with around 2cm of soil
• Water seeds well, then don’t water again until they germinate. Bean seeds can rot when the soil is constantly wet
Watering and fertilising
• Start watering again as seedlings start to grow
• Regular deep watering is important, especially when flowers and pods appear
• Mulch the soil to conserve soil moisture and suppress weeds
• Beans fix their own nitrogen and don’t need a lot of fertiliser – just a sprinkle of all-purpose organic fertiliser when the pods are forming
Harvesting
• Beans start fruiting 6-8 weeks from planting
• Pick them before pods become too lumpy – that’s when they’re at their best
• Don’t let them get old and stringy
• Check and harvest daily. Store what you don’t eat in the fridge
• Pods can also be blanched lightly and frozen for winter eating
