Beans: The Musical Fruit
- No matter which variety of beans you want to plant, they all have similar requirements.
- They prefer slightly acidic soil that is warm and not too dry. Too much moisture will rot the seed and plant.
- If your soil is very clayey, wait until June 7th before planting the seeds to allow it to dry out.
- Plant bean seeds 1 to 2 inches deep (2.5 to 5 cm) and 4 to 6 inches apart (10 to 15 cm).
- Keep the plants covered with a layer of thin, lightweight clear plastic until they produce flowers.
- Once they start flowering, you can uncover them as they need to pollinate each other.
- Low varieties will reach 12 inches in height (30 cm), while the climbing varieties like Scarlet Runners can reach 6 feet tall (1.8 m).
- You will need to support the plants to keep them from trailing on the ground where they can get damaged.
- Pick the ripened beans before the seeds show their shape through the pod.
- Remove any old bean pods, or the plant will stop producing new beans. All its energy will be spent preparing the seeds, which is what beans really are.
- If your garden has earwigs, use a floating row cover.
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