CORVALLIS, Ore. — Nothing compares to the crisp, fresh and flavorful beans you can grow at home.
Beans germinate best in soil that's at least 60°F, typically from late April through July, depending on local conditions.
Home gardeners can choose from several types, including bush beans, pole beans, runner beans, dry beans, lima beans, wax beans, French filet (haricot vert) and edamame.
Beans germinate best in soil that's at least 60°F, typically from late April through July, depending on local conditions. Most types will sprout at 50°F, but bean seeds tend to crack at this cooler temperature, which makes them vulnerable to soilborne microbes, said Jim Myers, Baggett‑Frazier Endowed Chair of Vegetable Breeding and Genetics in the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University.
White-colored seeds are particularly prone to cracking, Myers said, so he recommends using darker-colored seeds when planting in cooler soil.
A simple soil thermometer helps determine when to plant.
“It’s better to wait until the late side of May than to risk a cold snap,” Myers said. Beans can be planted through June for summer crops. A final planting in early July may yield a fall harvest — if early frosts aren’t an issue in your area.
Bush beans were bred to reduce the need for trellising and allow for mechanical harvesting. Many of the varieties grown commercially and by home gardeners in the Pacific Northwest were developed by Jim Baggett, professor emeritus of horticulture at Oregon State University.
Bush beans include French filet beans, or haricots verts, which are prized by chefs and harvested young, when pods are no more than ¼ inch in diameter.
“Haricots verts, also known as French filet beans, have a unique texture and flavor compared with U.S. green beans,” Myers said.
French filet beans are essentially green bean varieties with a bit more fiber, Myers explained. They are best harvested when young. Depending on the variety—such as ‘Nickel’—they may or may not have a string.
Planting tips
Plant bush bean seeds 2–3 inches apart and 1 inch deep in rows spaced 18–36 inches apart. Choose a sunny, well-drained location. Beans are ready to harvest about three weeks after flowering. Pick frequently to encourage more production.
Recommended bean varieties for Oregon conditions
- Bush green beans: ‘Tendercrop,’ ‘Venture,’ ‘Slenderette,’ ‘Provider,’ ‘Jade,’ ‘Oregon 54’
- Flat Italian beans: ‘Roma II’
- French filet (haricot vert): ‘Nickel’
- Pole green beans: ‘Blue Lake,’ ‘Kentucky Wonder,’ ‘Romano,’ ‘Cascade Giant,’ ‘Kentucky Blue,’ ‘Oregon Giant’
- Bush wax beans: ‘Goldenrod,’ ‘Goldrush,’ ‘Indy Gold,’ ‘Slenderwax’
- Bush lima beans (large-seeded): ‘Fordhook 242’ (or any Fordhook variety)
- Bush lima beans (small-seeded): ‘Thorogreen,’ ‘Baby Fordhook,’ ‘Jackson Wonder’
- Dry beans: ‘Pinto,’ ‘Red Kidney,’ ‘White Kidney’ (cannellini), ‘Cranberry,’ ‘Etna’
- Edible soybeans (edamame): ‘Envy,’ ‘Butterbean,’ ‘Sayamusume’
Pole beans should be planted similarly to bush beans but need support. Use a pole or trellis. To grow beans up a pole, plant about six seeds at the base of each pole.
Edamame are specialty soybeans. Harvest pods while still green. Boil the inner beans and eat them as a snack or appetizer. Grow them as you would bush beans.
Common challenges
Beans can be affected by viruses, root disorders, and white and gray mold. To prevent problems:
- Avoid overhead watering
- Remove dead plants at the end of the season
- Rotate crops each year
Previously titled It is time to get those green beans in the ground
