Beans

Beans (Phaseolus)
Legume family
Are in the Fruit category for lunar gardening.
It ranks second to tomato in garden popularity.

Today.
I am planting these 6 variety's.
1.Derby (57 days; slim, tender, prolific; excellent pods) There straight pods are 6.5 to seven inches long, evenly rounded and evenly colored. Seeds are white. An All-America Selections winner in 1990. Matures in 57 days.
2. Contender Bush Beans
An early fresh variety ideally suited to dry weather and is both heat & Disease resistant. such as , {common bean mosaic and powdery mildew.} Pods are thick oval form, often curved and stringless. Medium green pods of about 6 inches. Matures in 55 days.
High in vitamins A, B and C.
3. Tendergreen Improved Bush Beans
High temperatures don't affect production. Smooth extra-meaty bean 6-inch pods--no fiber, no strings! grow upright and don't require staking. If picked on a daily basis, they can yield about 7 lbs. in 2-3 weeks from a 15 ft. row
Beans are sensitive to cold temperatures and frost. They should be planted after all danger of frost is past.
4. Royal Burgundy Bush Bean Phaseolus vugaris.
Tender Annual Deep-purple pods are delicious, round, and stringless, supported by a 16-20" stocky and durable bush, height, 5-6 in. Prolific producer even in cooler conditions. Though color fades when cooked,
5.Chinese Green Noodle Bean Long Beans seeds
Is an early variety of long bean imported from China. 20" pods are straight and smooth, bright green, and of excellent quality. This hardy long bean is easy to grow almost anywhere. Very tasty stir-fried.
6. Cowpeas Pinkeye Purple Hull 28G
Mature pods grow in bunches for easy picking. When ready for shelling, long pods are deep purple-green and peas are cream-colored with pink or purple eyes. Bushy plants produce heavy crops. 7 to 10 days to germination.Thin to 1 plant every 3 inches when they have 4 leaves. Keep soil moist to encourage growth.85 days to harvest from transplanting. For healthy vines, don't plant southern peas on same ground year after year. For dried peas, let the pods mature and dry on the vine. Recommended for warm climate areas.
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Plant bean seeds of all varieties one inch deep. Plant seeds of bush beans 2 to 4 inches apart in rows at least 18 to 24 inches apart. Plant seeds of pole beans 4 to 6 inches apart in rows 30 to 36 inches apart.Seeds of most varieties tend to crack and germinate poorly if the soil's moisture content is too high. For this reason, never soak bean seed before planting. Instead water just after planting or plant right before a heavy rain

Beans grow very quickly and can be harvested green four to six weeks after sowing.

Pick beans every three or four days. Pods should snap easily and contain seeds that are not completely developed. Picking frequently will produce greater yields, but avoid picking in very hot or cold weather.
Companions:
Beet (to bush beans only), carrot, celery, chard, cucumber, eggplant, pea, potatoes, radish, strawberry. corn, tomatoes,spinach, lettuce, rosemary, summer savory, dill, radish, Summer savory

INCOMPATIBLE
chili peppers, sunflowers, alliums,Beets,(onions, garlic, etc), kales (cabbage family, broccoli, etc)

NOTE:
Bean plants have shallow roots and a fairly weak root systems, deep, close cultivation can injure the plant roots,
Garlic, onion and shallot stunt the growth of beans.
pole beans may choke Tomatoes,
The Common Bean is a highly nutritious source of starch, protein, dietary fiber, iron, potassium, and other minerals. It is usually prepared by boiling. Soaking it first will shorten cooking time, but the Common Bean should be boiled for at least 10 minutes to degrade the toxic compound lectin phytohaemagglutinin found in raw bean seeds. The highest concentration in red kidney beans .
Insect control
Marigold deters Mexican bean beetles.
Nasturtium and rosemary deter bean beetles.
Summer savory deters bean beetles, improves growth and flavor.
Common Problems

The bean mosaic diseases cause plants to turn a yellowish green and produce few or no pods. The leaves on infected plants are a mottled yellow and are usually irregularly shaped. The only satisfactory control for these diseases is to use mosaic-resistant bean varieties.

Bright yellow or brown spots on the leaves or water-soaked spots on the pods are signs of bacterial bean blight. Bacterial blight is best controlled by planting disease-free seed; avoiding contact with wet bean plants; and removing all bean debris from the garden.

The Lunar planting calendar for this month is located at the bottom of the page.

The Lunar planting calendar for this month is located at the bottom of the page.