🫘
Green Bean
Bush Blue Lake
LegumesDirect Sow
☀️
Sun
full sun
💧
Water
Every 5 days
🌱
Germination
8 days
🕐
Days to harvest
55 days
📏
Planting depth
1 inches deep
↔️
Row spacing
18 inches
When to Plant
Direct sow after last frost
Growing Guide
Soil: well-drained · pH 6.0–7.0
Beans fix their own nitrogen from the atmosphere — avoid high-nitrogen soil which produces lush leaves at the expense of pods. Moderate compost addition is sufficient. Well-drained, warm soil is key — beans rot in cold, wet conditions.
- Do NOT direct sow until soil is at least 60°F (mid-May to early June in zone 5)
- Sow 1–1.5 inches deep, 4–6 inches apart in rows 18 inches wide
- Inoculate seeds with rhizobium bacteria if planting in a new bed — significantly boosts nitrogen fixation
- Do not soak beans before planting in cool soil — they'll rot
- Make 2–3 succession sowings 3 weeks apart for a continuous harvest through summer
Care
💧 Water every 5 days
📐 Spacing: 4 inches apart · 18 inches between rows
Recommended sub-rows: 2
Harvest & Storage
Ready in 55 days with a harvest window of 14 days.
- Harvest when pods are firm, crisp, and snap cleanly — before seeds inside swell noticeably
- Blue Lake is ready in 55–60 days from sowing
- Pick every 2–3 days — pods left too long stop the plant from setting new flowers
- Morning harvest gives the best texture and flavor
Storage
Store unwashed in a bag in the refrigerator crisper. Best within 3–5 days. Blanch and freeze for up to 12 months.
Companion Planting
Grows well with:
carrotcucumberstrawberry
Keep away from:
onionfennel
Essential Tools
- Inoculant powder (rhizobium bacteria, available at garden centres)
- Kneeling pad (low pods require bending)
Pests & Diseases
- Mexican bean beetle: skeletonized leaves — hand-pick adults and egg clusters; neem oil spray
- Bean mosaic virus: mottled, stunted leaves — remove affected plants; no cure; control aphid vectors
- White mould (Sclerotinia): cottony white mold on stems in cool wet conditions — improve spacing and drainage