How To Grow A Ton of Green Beans In Your Next Garden
- Apr 1
- 3 min read
One staple crop every garden should have is green beans if you want an easy plant that gives a bountiful harvest, but have no idea what you are doing!
I love growing beans in my backyard garden because they are super simple to germinate, grow quickly, and give you an abundant harvest, plus did I mention they add nutrients like nitrogen back into the soil.
Now that's a garden win!
When you're planning your garden layout deciding what kind of bean you want to grow is important because one will grow vertically and the other well it will need a lot more space.
Let's explore how to grow fresh beans in your next garden, so that you can enjoy growing fresh food at home for the first time.
I personally love to plant both in my garden.
I'll trellis several pole bean plants in different sections of my garden, while using bush beans to fill in gaps as a companion plant that helps to improve the soil.
Luckily, both types offer fresh, nutritious beans, but they do grow differently and pole beans can be a great space saver in the garden making it easier to grow more food in small spaces.
One thing I love about growing beans in general is how easy these plants are to grow.
They are great for beginners because they can be directly sown in the ground, germination tends to be fast, and they are easy to harvest and store.
Because beans are so easy, I always recommend new gardeners begin with a few bean plants to start their gardening journey.
You won't be disappointed!
How To Grow Green Beans In Your Backyard Garden
Pole beans grow as climbing vines and need support like trellises, poles, or fences to grow upward.
This vertical growth saves ground space, making pole beans ideal for small gardens or areas where maximizing space matters.
I have used old fencing to trellis mine, but you can also use poles and gardening string to train your plant or build an archway for them to climb.
If you don't want to worry about trellising your plants consider growing a bush variety.
Bush beans grow as compact self supporting plants, but you'll have to sacrifice ground space because they spread out and stay low to the ground usually reaching 1 to 2 feet tall.
Either variety is great for growing in a new garden, but I personally prefer the harvest amounts of pole beans and how they don't require as much room compared to bush bean varieties.
But remember this is your garden, so play around with different plants and layouts to see what works best for you.
How Many Days To Harvest For Beans In The Garden
Pole beans take longer to mature, often around 60 to 90 days, and produce beans over a longer period because the vines keep growing and flowering.
This means you can harvest fresh beans for several weeks!
On the other hand, bush beans mature faster usually in 50 to 60 days.
They tend to produce beans all at once, which means a shorter, but more intense harvest period.
But keep in mind that you can succession plant your beans by spreading out plantings about 10 -14 days apart to extend your harvests throughout the growing season.
So every 10 - 14 days you'll plant a new row of bush beans to keep fresh beans coming in throughout the season.
What To Know About Growing Green Beans In Your Backyard Garden
Pole beans generally produce a higher yield per plant because they keep growing and producing beans throughout the season. This continuous harvest suits gardeners who want fresh beans over time without replanting.
Bush beans produce a large crop all at once. This suits gardeners who want to harvest a big batch for canning, freezing, or sharing. After the harvest, bush bean plants die back, so be sure to use succession planting to extend your harvests.
Both types can face common bean pests like aphids, bean beetles, and fungal diseases.
Japanese Beetles have been an issue for me, more so with pole beans, but luckily they don't bite and make a great treat for the chickens!
Growing green beans is a great way to get into gardening and I highly suggest you give these plants a go if you're new to gardening and want a plant that is easy to tend and gives a bountiful harvest.
With either variety you won't be disappointed!
These plants are beginner friendly and in no time you'll be able to collect fresh green beans straight from your backyard to enjoy.
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