Planting beans: when, where & best companion plants
Beans are a staple of vegetable gardens and because they are easy to grow and care for, they are an excellent crop to grow at home.
Are you wondering when to plant beans (Phaseolus) or where is the best place to plant them? Read on to find out how to care for them from sowing to planting and where to grow them.
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Planting beans
Learning how to grow beans is relatively simple as they are an easy plant for novice gardeners to start with and are an excellent way to introduce children to the wonderful world of gardening.
When to plant beans
Beans, especially French beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus) and broad beans (Vicia faba) are well suited to our UK climate and can produce bumper harvests if cared for correctly. When it comes to when to plant beans, French beans, whether dwarf or climbing, and runner bean seed can be sown under cover from April onwards to plant out in June, or sown directly outdoors after the last frosts, which is usually around late May to June depending on where you live. If slugs and snails are a problem, then it is best to sow under cover and plant out the bean plants when they are larger and more robust. For an even earlier crop, French bean seed can be sown as early as March under cover, but only planted out once all risk of frost has passed.
Tip: Dwarf beans produce their crop more quickly than climbing varieties, but for a shorter season, so sow them every two to three weeks for beans to pick all summer long, a practise known as successional sowing.
How to grow beans: step-by-step
Beans offer a bountiful harvest when grown in the right conditions and growing your own can be good for the hip pocket too. If you are growing beans for yourself and your family, four to five plants per person should provide a decent harvest with some extra to freeze and store.
Before growing beans, it is important to consider their growing requirements, such as the soil, growing site and method. The best soil for growing beans is moist but well-drained, fertile and deep. Our Plantura All Purpose Compost is ideal for growing beans. Since wood fibres are a core component of the compost mixture, it is well-draining and moderately nutritious – beans are able to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere into the soil, so they do not need as much fertiliser as other vegetables. Nevertheless, most beans will produce a crop as long as the soil is not too acidic or lacking in nutrients. French, runner and broad beans all prefer full sun or partial shade in a sheltered position, whether grown directly in the ground or in containers.
When growing beans from seed, sow the bean seeds quite deeply at a depth of 5 cm. As the bean plants will grow long, deep roots, it is important that the soil is deep enough, whether they are grown in pots or in the ground.
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To start bean plants indoors: Fill 7 – 9 cm pots with a multipurpose compost. Sow one bean seed per pot and water in well. Place on a warm windowsill or in a propagator as French and runner beans require a minimum temperature of 12 – 14 °C. On the other hand, broad beans are much hardier and can be sown directly outdoors in early spring once the temperatures are above 5 °C.
After the bean seeds have germinated, continue to grow them under cover, keeping them well watered until all risk of frost has passed. Then harden them off before planting them out in their final position.
To sow bean seeds directly in the ground: Weed the area and work some compost into the soil. Sow deeply at a depth of 5 cm, spacing them 15 cm apart. Water well and regularly. Protect your young bean plants from slugs and snails as they are particularly partial to them. Copper tape and crushed eggshell barriers can help keep slugs and snails away from your prized bean seedlings, as can picking them off at night by torch light, which children seem to especially enjoy.
Climbing beans need to be supported. Bamboo canes or coppiced hazel poles are often used to build wigwam supports for the beans to be tied to as they grow. Put the supports in place before sowing or planting the beans out, as otherwise you risk accidently stepping on or damaging the young plants.
As the bean plants mature keep them well watered, especially as pods set to encourage a great harvest from mid-summer onwards.
Summary: Planting beans
- Fill small pots with multipurpose compost or prepare the ground for direct sowing
- Sow the seeds individually at a depth of 5 cm and water in
- Keep the soil moist but not wet
- If growing undercover, keep the seeds warm to aid germination
- Plant out when all risk of frost has passed
- Protect from slugs and snails
Growing beans in pots
Beans grow well in pots and containers and are only limited by container size. Dwarf beans are especially suited to growing in troughs and pots, whereas climbing varieties will need a wide and deep container with a recommended depth of 40 – 50 cm to accommodate their root systems.
An advantage of growing beans in pots is that it is easy to move them to a suitably sunny position and they can simply be pulled out once the season is over. On the other hand, container grown beans will require more frequent watering and feeding than those grown directly in the bed.
Growing beans in a bag
Beans can also be grown in bags that are easy to store when not in use. Like beans in pots, grow bags are easy to use. Simply fill the bag with fresh compost and plant out a bean seedling into it. Growing bags come in a range of shapes and sizes to accommodate the various bean varieties.
Growing beans in bags has some advantages, like being more breathable than plastic pots, providing better drainage, encouraging a healthy root system and saving space. However, plants grown in bags will need more frequent watering and some breathable bags may not last as long as other pots or containers, potentially resulting in more waste.
The best bean companion plants
Companion planting can be very beneficial when growing vegetables since it increases crop diversity while decreasing pests and disease. There are some plants that are more advantageous than others when it comes to choosing companion plants for beans.
Beneficial companion plants for dwarf beans can include those with low nutrient requirements, such as lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and nasturtiums (Tropaeolum), which can also sacrificially attract away any aphids from the bean plants.
For climbing bean varieties, the “three sisters” method of planting beans together with corn (Zea mays) and squash (Cucurbita) is a great way to maximise growing space, as the tall corn provides support for the climbing beans and the squash provides ground cover to discourage weeds and conserve moisture.
However, it is not recommended to plant beans with members of the allium family (Allioideae), such as onion (Allium cepa) or chives (Allium schoenoprasum), as they can impede bean growth.
How to grow bean sprouts
Bean sprouts are high in nutrients and are often found in health food shops as well as restaurants, but they are actually very easy to grow yourself. The most commonly used bean seed for growing bean sprouts is not the common garden bean Phaseolus vulgaris, as it contains toxins, but its close relatives. Bean sprouts are simply the young and tender shoots produced by bean seeds. The most commonly grown bean sprouts are mung beans (Vigna radiata), soybeans (Glycine max) and Adzuki beans (Vigna angularis). You can buy special sprouting seeds in health food shops and shops. Do not use normal bean seeds for sowing in the garden as they have not been treated to make them safe for growing sprouts.
If you fancy having a go at growing bean sprouts, you can read all about it in our dedicated article on growing sprouts. You do not need much, just a sterile jar or container, some water, and patience. Mung bean sprouts are ready to eat in just four to five days.
With the right conditions and care, some dwarf beans can be harvested in as little as six to eight weeks after being sown. Find out about the many different types of beans to grow at home in our article.
