This is the second year I've grown these bush beans, and the second year that they won't get taller than a foot. They are in a different garden bed, in different soil. As far as I know, the person who gave me these seeds does not have the same problem I am having. What is the problem? Lack of ferts? I planted some in the same place as last year too, and those have hit a foot tall. I'll keep an eye on them and see if it gets any taller, but really, this is frustrating.
What do they look like? Bush beans don't get tall. at least mine aren't what I consider tall. Maybe 12-15 inches.
Oh. Perhaps I should stick with pole beans instead then. Yea, I guess I do want a super bean. lol These don't put out many beans either. Is that common for the little guys? How many bushes do I need to plant in order to get a decent harvest?
Generally you can plan on about 15-20 pounds of beans from a 50 foot row if it bears well. A row of pole beans? about the same or maybe more, because you can pick them for a much longer period of time. So, it depends on the weather, the ground, the bugs and you...all in a combination. But, they will produce more than bush beans.
By the way for your information... A pack of seeds from any of the seed suppliers (off of a typical seed rack) is enough seed for a 50 ft row.
Hiya Beeks-- First thing: You said in the beginning of this thread that you planted these beans in the place where you had planted your beans last year (and had such great results). I suggest that this may be a factor. I rotate my crops each year, as I do not find it a good idea to plant the same plants (or plants in the same family) in the same place in succeeding years. The reason for this is that it can lead to plant diseases, weak plants and a sort of one-sided element distribution. By that I mean that the same plants take the same 'nutrition' out of the soil when planted year after year in the same place. There are of course other possibilities, but I find what you did suspect practice. Look--it is only july...and there is just time to make one more planting. What not plant more beans in a totally different place in the full sun and see how that goes. I see that you live somewhere in New England, so your seasons can be loosely compared to ours here. I shall plant more beans here just as soon as the raining stops. It has been a difficult season for beans (for a number of reasons) here and I have had to plant three times already. Naturally as the others have said above-- bush beans are not supposed to grow tall at all. That means that to harvest them one must get down on one's knees in order to harvest them. This is the reason that I only grow French climbers and Runner Beans. hahaha--I spend enough time on my hands and knees weeding as it is.
Hi Mart, I planted the purple beans. Hi Carolyn and Sjoerd, I planted four in a totally new garden and four more in a different spot in the garden that is on it's second season. So it is in the same garden as last year, but a different spot in it. My plot is only 12x12 feet, so it isn't easy to rotate. I tried to move things around slightly, but I can only move them so much. The beans are about 6 feet, diagonally, from where they were last year. From what you are all telling me, as far as size goes, they are right where they are supposed to be. It is just a difficult situation because I only have a 12x12 plot in the sun and a 13x4 plot in the shade, causing me to only have room for 2, 3, or 4 of each plant. The shade plot gets a couple of hours of early morning sunlight. The trees are tall, so there is plenty of air circulation. It is bright there, but shaded. I've tried to put my peas there and am experimenting with other veggies that are not too fond of hot afternoon sun. The squirrels and chipmunk were exploring the shade plot, as the fence is not up yet, but the neighbors' cats have volunteered more duty hours guarding it. So far, all is quite well. I guess I just got the wrong type of bean for the harvest I want. I don't have much space, but I love variety. In my sun garden I have: butternut squash, acorn squash, cucumbers, spinach, one watermelon, 2 yellow summer squash, one zucchini, 3 beefsteak tomatoes, 2 plum tomatoes, one cherry tomato, 2 peppers, one eggplant, 4 broccoli, 8 kohlrabi, 4 carrots, and 4 beans. In my shade garden I have: 3 broccoli, 3 kohlrabi, 6 peas, 5 radishes, 5 carrots, lettuce, and 2 beans. (the repeats of what is in the sun garden are experimental). I would like to try to grow peanuts, potatoes, turnips, beets, melons, corn, wheat, and rye but I don't have any space. I think you get the idea of what my real problem is. My dreams are far bigger than the reality I have to deal with. The fact that I am a novice doesn't help matters either. I also work full time, so I don't have many hours of the day to be able to work in the garden, especially when I come home exhausted. *sigh* Life. But, if there is a way to make this work, I'm open to suggestions.
Well, I did a diagram of how I would arrange it if I were you. Let me see if I can diagram it well enough to take a pic so you can see the arrangement.
Ohhhhhh, I see what you mean about the place. Your space is very confines, I see that. But still, some space is better than no space, right? I think that if you amend your soil each year you may be able to garden in that plot for some time.
Thank you both. I've been using a garden planner program and it has helped a lot. It gives a far better idea of what will actually fit in the garden than if I were to draw it out myself. I tried to attach it, but it is a pdf. I'll have to take a picture when I get home and attach it that way. Soil amendment is my weak point. I time it wrong and miss opportunities. I need to get the soil tested, but there is no place around here to do it. I wanted to compost and was told that the compost isn't good, so if I'm going to use it at all, it should be spread it in the autumn so that the rain will clean it out in time for spring. I also have about a pound of clover and alfalfa seeds to plant as green manure, but when do should it be planted? I tried the short cut by using alfalfa pellet feed and found that it was just crabgrass that turned into a weeding nightmare. Lastly, I'm still trying to get the N, P, K straight in my head, which one is good for what. It is difficult to know that I've done so much research and I have still missed so much important information. It is coming along, but slowly.
Hiya Beeker. I can't help you much with alfalfa and clover, as I do not use those for green manure. There are several choices of plants...after trying a few, I have decided to just use two different ones. I rotate the patches on which I use them when I can. It isn't so important because I use the green manures on the same plot on which I grow them. That will say that the minerals that the green manure extracts from the soil goes right back in. My rule of thumb with the NPK use is as follows-- N (nitrogen) is for green things like grass and green veggies such as cspinach etc. P (Phosphorus) is for root development and to a lesser degree flowers. K (Kalium/ Potassium) is for flowers, and in terms of veg where flowers turn into fruit then this element plays a role. A good example is tomatos. Kalium in some form is good for flowering garden plants as well. .................. ............. ................... psssssssst--c'mere meid. I'm gunna whisper a secret. Don't tell anyone. I use a REALLY dumb (ezel's bruggetje) trick to help me remember. It is so rediculous that I daren't tell anyone ofr fear of being laughed-at unmercifully. What I do is take the first letter of the element and substitute it for the first letter of the thing that the element is used for. For instance, Neaves ( N+eaves [from the word leaves]) proots and Klowers. See how it goes? Gad! That is childish, isn't it....but it helps me. Shhhhhhhhhhhh.....now, don't tell anyone, promise?
That's a cute trick. Thank you. I promise I won't tell anyone, nor will I laugh. But I must admit, I'm smirking, not so much at your trick, but at your secret/public post. Do you think it is pointless to use green manure because it basically breaks even when all is said and done? Which two do you use?
Ima tossing my $.02 in here. This fall, throw every thing you can think of on your garden space. Leaves, coffee grounds, kitchen scraps(you might could bury those)barnyard manures, wood chips, chemical free grass clippings, etc. Mix it up a bit. Let it rot! Come spring, fork it in. I do mean early spring, like March, maybe early April. This will help in building good soil. Do this every year for as long as you plan to garden. There are no shortcuts when it comes to building soil. If you make compost, use it as a mulch.
