# How To Plant Bush Green Beans



## John_Poole

Do you recommend inoculating the seeds? I tried this season and found my bush bean plants at least appeared to grow faster, and seem more prolific this season. Was just wondering. Thanks!


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## Tee

Hi John, 

You can inoculate the seeds to help them germinate a bit faster. This is done quite frequently with green pea seeds to give them a germination "boost". It certainly doesn't hurt to do it but isn't required if you have good soil. 

I had mixed result with the bush and pole beans this year, but it was mainly due to very high temperatures and dry conditions. I plan on inoculating my fall crop of bush beans to see if it helps.

Thanks for your comment!


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## Diana2

This is will be the second year for my son and I growing a garden. We just found your page and love it. You make it simple, not to much information, just the right amount with pictures that make sense. Thank you.


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## Tee

Hi Diana - I'm glad you found the article useful!


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## quadri

Good job....I like this article.....just want some info. for my school project. Thanks, clear explanation here


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## teresa1

This year I am gardening in raised beds and do not know a lot about gardening. How many plants (bush beans) can you put in a 4 x 4 raised bed? Do you plant in rows or scattered? I appreciate your website and thanks for the info.


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## Tee

Hi Teresa! I'm glad you enjoy the website and thanks for stopping by.

Bush beans are relatively small bushes compared to most plants and can be planted fairly close together. Whether you plant them in rows or scatter them about is really up to personal preference. I like to plant in rows because it looks a bit neater, but it's really up to you.

A 4'x4' bed is 16 square feet and you can plant two bushes per square foot. That would be a total of 32 bush bean plants planted 6 inches apart.

I hope this helps, Teresa, and if you have any more question feel free to contact me via the contact page. I'll be more than happy to help any way I can.


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## teresa1

Thank you Tee for your answer. One more question. How do you figure how many plants will fit in this size? Is there a formula to use or do you need to know specifics about each plant?


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## Tee

Hi Teresa - Yes, you need to know the specifics for each plant and there's a formula, kind of. Take a look at the back of the seed packet. There should be planting instructions for the type of seed you have. There will be directions for how deep to sow the seeds and how far apart. There will also be some suggestions on how far apart the seedlings should be after thinning.

As far as the formula- it's not really a formula. I basically used the Square Foot Gardening method to determine how much you could grow in a 4'x4' area. The Square Foot Garden method simply divides your garden bed into 1foot squares. Since you have 16 one foot squares, and two bush beans can be grown in each square, you can grow 32 bush bean plants in that 4'x4' bed.

After growing vegetables for a couple years you will get a good sense of how far apart some should be grown and what works well for your garden space.


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## growing_beans

Wow. Thanks for a very informative article. It is fun and easy to understand because you even placed pictures. this should be a must-read for bean growers out there.


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## Mary2

Hi, I very much like your site. My bush bean seed package tells me to plant these every 18", but I was hoping for closer since I have very little room. Do you think even with what I have it can be grown like you suggest (every 8-12"). Thanks.


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## Tee

Hi Mary - Yes, I think you can plant closer than 18 inches. I have even planted them 6 inches apart to try to pack in as many plants in a small row as possible. You may encounter some issues with rust on the leaves if you have very wet conditions, but other than that they should be fine.


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## DEBORAH_SHOCKLEY

My bush beans are about 1 1/2 feet tall and have just begin producing. Do I need to stack up Bush beans?


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## Tee

Hi Deborah - You don't have to stack them. Once they start producing you can simply let them do their thing, if you like.


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## jean1

My bush beans have been blooming for several weeks but have produced no beans. I have had very dry, very hot weather but I have kept them watered. Any advice. I went to my local farmer's exchange and the lady said I planted them under the wrong moon sign.


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## Ed_Brwon

I have been told many different things about planting bush beans, but some say I should put up a fence like for peas. They say, it makes it easier to pick and it keeps the plant off the ground. What do youo say. Would you email me please? Thanks


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## Tee

Hi Ed - I received and answered your email. I hope it helps. Let me know if you have any more questions!


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## Jeannie1

what is innoculating and how do ya do that? My green bean plants are producing but they are so small and bugs are eating the leaves again. They've only reached about 5 inches height so far. What can I do to help my plants? I would like to get maximum output on them. I live in Kentucky if that helps any and I have mostly clay soil.


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## Tee

Hi Jeannie - Inoculating is when you introduce a special bacteria to the seeds when you are sowing them. The bacteria form a special bond with the roots of the bean plants which promotes better growth. I have an article on it, just use the search form located at the top right of the page. Just search "inoculant" and it should lead you in the right direction.

I would begin giving your plants a good spraying of fish emulsion or compost tea a couple times per week. That will help to perk them up!


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## Jeannie1

Thanks for the reply to my query and the good advice of which I will be sure to follow.


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## Gina1

Hello! I have 2 questions. What length should the bean be before harvesting it? Also, do the plants only produce one batch of beans or will they continue to grow vegetables throughout the summer? Thanks!


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## Tee

Hi Gina - Great questions! First, there really is no desired length the beans should be for harvesting. As a general rule, I harvest mine when they get at least six inches long and are a little fatter than a pencil. That is if you are growing them as snap beans. For shelling beans you want the bean pods to fatten up more before harvesting.

With the right conditions most green bean plants will continue to produce until the first frost. Usually the first harvest is the largest with subsequent harvests being a bit smaller. Also, picking the green beans early and often will help promote more bean production so picking them on a regular basis helps.


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## Patty1

Do you need to stake the bushes up as they mature to keep them from sagging onto the ground?


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## Tee

Hi Patty - Staking the bushes isn't really necessary, but you can if you want the plants to be more tidy. A trellis leaning at about 45 degrees can work well to accomplish that.


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## MARK2

Do you need to plant two beans in every hole?"


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## Tee

Hi Mark - You do not have to plant two per hole. Planting two is just a common "safety" measure used in case one doesn't germinate.


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## Jeff_Barnett

Wow! Just found this site by accident (kind of). I am a rookie of rookies when it comes to gardening. I am about to plant my first garden (fall garden). I wanted to plant some green beans, and I found this article to be the exact information I was looking for. I'm already in love with your site. Now I'm going to browse around here and see what else I can learn. Thank you very much for making it understandable. 
I do have one question though. I have a couple of trees on one side of my garden spot. I know it gives shade at least part of the day. Will that hinder my chances for success with the green beans?
Thanks.


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## Tee

Hi Jeff - thank you for the kind words! 

As long as your green beans are getting at least 8 hours of direct sunlight per day, then you should be just fine. If they get a little shade during some parts of the day it's okay as long as they get at least the 8 hours. As a matter of fact, if your plants get shade during the hottest times of the day (between 11 am - 4 pm) it can actually help to keep them cooler during this time of year.

Good luck!


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## Tony2

How much % of seeds germinate? I only have limited space to grow some for a school project


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## Tee

Hi Tony!

The germination rate can vary depending on the age of the seeds and other factors. Generally, I have purchased seeds packed for that year and have had a high germination rate (around 90%). If you have older seeds then that rate will drop considerably.

You can test the seeds and even pre-germinate them to make sure the seeds you sow will germinate and grow. Read this article on pre-germinating your seeds - https://www.veggiegardener.com/pre-germinate-vegetable-seeds/

I hope this helps and good luck with the school project!


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## Laura3

HI,
Is it true that bush beans produce one large harvest than another one a few weeks later whereas pole beans keep producing?

The SFG method claims that you can plant 9 (NINE wow!) bush beans per square. 

However my garden bush bean (bush blue) seed pack says the spacing should be 6 inches which would mean 4 per square, which is what I did. I only did 4 plants because I didn tknow if they were good! I have flowers now tho


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## darlene

I am a beginner at planting a garden. The information on your site is very helpful and enlightening. The question I have for growing bush beans is: How tall do bush beans get and also, if you start your seeds indoors, do you follow the steps you gave above? Do you soak your seeds overnight and then plant them in your 5" deep compost container? Any tips you can give me would be greatly appreciated.


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## Elizabeth

I am really interested in how you respond to Darlene's post, as I am also interested in starting some "Paint Dry Bush Beans," "Hutterite Soup Beans," and "Aztec Half-Runner Beans" indoors. I understand it is best to soak them overnight before planting, correct? And plant them in a large container of some sort to avoid transplanting which they don't like? I bought an innoculator for legumes, which I will treat them with. Any other thoughts about starting these beans indoors? We are still working on preparing our garden space so I wanted to start the beans indoors. I love the photo how-to's on your site.


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## Sandra_Ellis

I have helped my father for several years with his garden. My father has his own produce stand so he has hundreds of each plant he grows. A few years ago, my husband and I started our own garden. My observation about bush beans, they tend to rot if not harvested quick enough. Touching the ground has truly been our biggest problem. My question is, how do you keep,Contender Bush beans off of the ground?


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## mike4

I have pole beans growing, and the plant themselves seem to be doing fine. My question is about the bean pods they are producing; they are tiny! Why is this happening and how can i fix it?


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## Bryce_Frost

I live in the northren part of the US. We planed our seeds in the inside first. How many inches when it is okay to plant then outside?


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## Judy_Howell

My green bean bushes are about 7 inches tall and are already putting out beans. I'm confused. Help.


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## 28tgordon

How much water


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## harrylee

28tgordon said:


> How much water


Welcome......This is a pretty old thread, the people posting on it seem to be long gone. 
As for watering beans, I have grown them for a few years and usually the amount of rain here keeps them good. You don't want to have the plants wet all the time sa they will rot. Kind to have to play it by ear. I looked this up......

How often do beans need to be watered?


Common beans need *1 inch of water per week*. Use a drip irrigation system for supplemental watering to avoid splashing soil onto the leaves, which can lead to soil-borne diseases. To determine whether the plants need water, stick your finger about 1 inch into the soil near the base of the plant.


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## 01-7700

this forum has started to take off - congrats !


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## harrylee

01-7700 said:


> this forum has started to take off - congrats !


Not like a rocketship...More like a Yugo, slow, but moving.......lol


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