Snap to It to Plant Snap Beans

Saturday, March 26, 2011 03:54 AM

Snap beans are one of the more popular vegetables found in the home garden, because they are easy to grow and good to eat! Even Jack from the story “Jack and the Beanstalk” knew how good they were because he sold his cow for 3 bean seeds!

(At right, the colourful Velour French Bean)

They have been around for hundreds of years originating in Central and South America. They are also known as string beans because years ago the earlier varieties had a fibrous string that ran along the seam of the bean. The string is no longer there on most varieties because of cross breeding, but the name is still used.

The name snap bean is used and it comes from the sound the bean makes when the tips are removed from the bean. Originally discovered in Central and South America snap beans can be found growing in many gardens, as either bush varieties or pole varieties.

The bush varieties grow up to 2 feet high without support and so are less maintenance, and tend to produce earlier and in a shorter time period. The pole varieties can grow 5-7 feet tall and so need to be staked with poles, trellis, or string. The poles can be individual 4-6 inches apart or placed in a teepee pattern with 3-4 poles tied together at the top. Pole varieties need a longer growing period but also tend to produce for a longer period of time and some say the beans are tastier.

Snap beans need warm soil temperatures, for the seed to successfully germinate. To help plants grow and increase yields inoculants can be used to help the plants roots extract nitrogen from the soil. Inoculants are a natural occurring powdery substance that contains soil bacteria and are coated on the seed before planting. It is easy to use by first moistening the seed with water so that the inoculant will stick, and then coating the seed in the inoculant before being placed the seed in the soil.

When planting seeds plant them 1 inch deep and space seeds 2-4 inches apart for bush beans and 4-6 inches for pole beans. Pole beans can also be planted in hills of 3-4 plants per hill. Bean plants are a warm weather crop needing lots of sun, and do not handle any frost and so should not be planted outdoors till all risk of frost has passed.

Because of our northern climate and short season I have started our bean seeds indoors in peat pots and later transplanted them outside in the garden in June which has worked really well.

In late August when there is a threat of frost we cover the beans in the garden over night with a frost protection blanket (reemay), and then remove it during the day so that the bees can pollinate the flowers.

Bean plants have a shallow root system so be careful when hoeing around them and also when placing the poles near them to stake them. It is better to put the pole in the ground when you plant the seeds or just as the plants come up. They also need sufficient water to grow a good crop so make sure that they are given water when in and after bloom. Water less often and more thoroughly so that plants foliage does not remain moist, as this can also cause problems.

Never handle the plants when the foliage is damp as this can cause disease which harms the beans. Also, too much moisture and cool temperatures can cause the foliage to become mouldy which is also harmful. For this reason I like to have a good space between the rows so that there is good air circulation. Pick snap beans when they are still young and tender and pick them often, as the more you pick the more the plant will produce. Beans that remain on the plant will eventually mature into large tough pods with large bean seeds inside the pod and will take all the nutrients from the plant preventing new beans from forming. Snap beans are actually immature legumes harvested early, and are bred for their fleshy, flavorous pods.

There are many different varieties available in various colours and sizes. For example 'McFayden seeds' has a variety called 'Velour Dwarf French' which produce 5-6 inch long purple pods, as well as their yellow coloured pod variety 'Slenderwax' bush variety.

If you are looking for a really long podded variety then you should try the 'Yard Long' variety available from 'Livingston Seed Co.'. Also known as 'Chinese Long' or 'Asparagus Bean' the green pod can grow up to 36 inches long. Other popular varieties available are the green bush 'stringless green pod', earliserve', 'tenderette stringless' and 'tendergreen' or the yellow (wax) bush types such as 'Top Notch', 'Pencil Pod Black Wax', 'Goldmine'. Pole varieties include the green 'Blue lake' which also comes in a bush variety and is a favourite in our home garden. You can also buy organic seed varieties from 'Burpee' and 'Aimers' for the organic gardener.

Which ever variety you choose to plant you should include at least one type of bean in the garden as they are rich in fibre, and vitamin A as well as providing carbs and protein and only have 35 calories per cup.

If you do not have room in the vegetable garden they are pretty enough to grow in the flower bed, along a wall, or in containers. Perhaps your bean plants will get as tall as the three planted by Jack!

-Jos

Jos Van Hage owns and operates two Art Knapp home and garden centres in Prince George:

- Highway 16 west at Kimball Road

- Highway 97 north at Northwood Pulpmill Road.

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Snap to It to Plant Snap Beans

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