I finally was able to grow a good crop of bush beans, but I am not sure if they are worth growing again, at least in the same context, as there are probably better options.
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14 Comments
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I grew two whole packets of bush beans for drying this season; Goodness, was that ever a waste of time and space. The plants produced just fine, but spending the same amount of money on dried store beans would have resulted in about six times as many as I ended up harvesting without any of the wasted water, bed space, time, effort, shelling, etc. Fun experiment that taught me to use that bed for much more desirable and difficult to acquire crops (I'm looking at you, Petite Gris de Rennes), especially in my small garden. Thanks for another great video.
A video on how you make your planting plans would be super valuable
this is interesting because ive actually thought about this myself. currently in my context bush beans are the most reliable plant in my garden. i know that if i plant them they will grow but they take up so much space for such little produce dispite the labor involved in harvesting them.
ive never had luck with climbing beans but this is likely due to a combination of factors i could easily mitigate. right now i still have a ton of bush beans i can plant though so its hard not to grow them but perhaps i should focus on creating a space for climbing beans in the future
I grow inoculated bush beans or peas in every spot that opens up in my garden, even just a square foot. The main reason is for the nitrogen that they put into the soil for the next crop. I also harvest a small amount of green pods to eat but leave the majority to become dry beans to eat or plant later. Don't replant hybrids. Think of bush beans as a supporting plant with benefits instead of a crop and you will fall in love with them!
As i stated on your last video.. dry beans are a good staple during the winter.. so growing some along side your green beans makes sense.. that way you have access to good protein during winter ..
I've been growing bush beans for a few years now – and in my raised garden setup – they perform outstanding. I typically get 3-4 good flushes before they get too leggy/damaged, at which point I chop em, top dress with compost – and replant for a fall crop. Last year, we had so many beans from one bed – we were regularly eating frozen blanched beans right up to this years first harvest.
In contrast to my pole beans, the bush beans did not get stripped by japanese beetles.
Excellent information. Down with bush beans! Maybe bush beans are better for large farms
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I usually grow a bed or two of bush black/turtle beans, specifically for drying and winter consumption. I find that in my climate, I can grow two full crops in one season. Labor is reduced since I pull and dry the whole plants as they begin to die off, then thresh them to extract the dry beans.
For me, I just simply don’t have the infrastructure to grow many climbing plants (and I have other climbing crops that take priority) so bush beans that can be stuck in any bed are more valuable for me. I’m only growing for my family so I don’t mind if I get lower yields.
I don't understand why people are so fond of climbers. It looks like a pain in the ass to me. I plant Blue Lake 274. They stand on their own. A single 100 foot row gives me all I want to eat and freeze, so long as I keep them picked. The predatory insects really seem to love the blooms. By the hottest part of Florida summer they decline and heat prevents pollination, so they come out.
I much prefer a climbing variety for many reasons, primarily because they look beautiful on a trellis and because I don't have to bend over very much to pick them. Thanks for doing the hard work of the research to reinforce what I suspected, climbing beans are for me.
I absolutely hate picking bush beans. There were developed for mechanical harvest, which makes sense for commercial purposes, but bending over rooting through the mass of leaves trying to find the beans is just miserable. I only grow pole beans these days, so much nicer to harvest and they produce much longer of course.