Holly's Homestead — Legume
Green Beans
Phaseolus vulgaris · Legume family
DIFFICULTY Easy
TYPE Warm-season annual
MATURITY 8–10 weeks
TYPE Warm-season annual
MATURITY 8–10 weeks
Sun
Full sun
Water
Regular
Soil pH
6.0–7.0
Spacing
10–15cm
Depth
2–3cm
01Bush vs climbing
Bush varieties grow as a compact, self-supporting plant needing no support. Climbing varieties need a trellis or stakes but produce over a longer season from the same footprint.
02Planting
Method
Direct sow after frost risk passes — beans dislike root disturbance and are best sown where they will grow.
Soil
Free-draining, moderately fertile. As a nitrogen fixer, beans leave the soil better than they found it.
Timing
Sow once soil has warmed in spring; a second sowing in early summer extends the harvest.
Planting timing varies significantly by Australian climate zone. Set your zone above (or use the Find My Climate Zone tool) for guidance tailored to your own area.
03Growing care
- Water regularly, especially through flowering and pod set.
- Install support at planting time for climbing varieties — retrofitting disturbs roots.
- Pick pods regularly to keep plants producing rather than setting mature seed.
- Avoid working around wet plants — this can spread fungal disease.
04Problems
- Bean fly — larvae tunnel into stems of young seedlings; net or delay sowing until plants are more established.
- Rust — orange-brown spotting on leaves; improve airflow and avoid wetting foliage.
- Poor pod set — often from heat stress during flowering; consistent water helps.
- Slugs and snails — target young seedlings especially; monitor closely early on.
05Harvest & storage
Signs
Pods snap crisply and seeds inside are still small, before they bulge visibly.
Method
Pick by hand, holding the vine to avoid damaging it, every couple of days once production starts.
Curing
None needed for fresh eating — leave mature pods on the plant to dry if saving for a dried legume instead.
Storage
Fridge, about 1 week. Freezes well blanched, or dry mature pods for a long-storing dried legume.
Preserving
See Freezing Produce (blanch and freeze a glut) or Canning & Bottling (pickled beans) for ways to keep a harvest surplus.
06Companions & rotation
Plant nearby
CarrotCornCucumberCeleryAvoid nearby
OnionGarlicFennelRotation note
As a nitrogen fixer, beans are good to grow ahead of heavier-feeding crops like brassicas or corn in rotation.
