Common beans. Growing beans: from choosing a variety to storing the crop What type of root system does a bean have?

One of the main reasons for failures in growing bean plants is insufficient knowledge of its biological characteristics. Therefore, it is advisable for any summer resident planning to master the agricultural technology of this tasty crop to begin their acquaintance with its bioportrait.

Beans are an annual herbaceous plant from the legume family and the bean genus. This genus is extremely large and numbers about 200, found everywhere in the subtropical regions of South Asia, America and Africa.

According to the type of growth, the bean plant can be climbing or bush. Its stem is herbaceous, dark green, pinkish or purple. Its length in bush varieties ranges from 25 to 60 centimeters, and in climbing varieties it can reach as much as 5 meters (on average 2-3 meters), which allows this crop to be used for vertical gardening. Bush varieties of beans are also distinguished by the overall size of the bush: it can be either quite compact or very spreading.

The root system of a bean plant has a tap structure and in climbing varieties penetrates a meter into the soil thickness, occupying an area within a radius of 55 to 60 centimeters. In bush beans, the roots are much more modestly developed and lie at a depth of about 20-30 centimeters. The tap root is located at the same depth. But at the same time, the lateral roots are very dense and are not inferior to it in length.

A special type of nodule bacteria develops on the roots of beans, which have the ability, with the participation of the plant itself, to extract nitrogen from the air and saturate the surrounding soil with it. Under good conditions, from 500 to 700 nodules are formed on the root system of one bean bush! As a result, after harvesting the tops of this crop, soil enriched with nitrogen remains. Over the course of a season, it accumulates up to 44 grams of this macroelement per 10 sq.m.

The leaves of beans are complex, trifoliate with large pointed or oval leaves. The first pair of leaflets has a simple shape, and all subsequent ones are imparipinnate. Stipules are small, ovoid or lanceolate. Sheet plastic is painted yellow-green or rich green with a purple tint.

Bean flowers are moth-shaped, medium-sized, consist of 5 petals and are organized into a raceme-like inflorescence. Flowering of bush varieties lasts from 20 to 25 days, and climbing ones from 1 to 3 months. Peduncles are shortened, apical or axillary, often with pairs of flowers.

In multi-flowered bean varieties, the peduncles grow to a considerable length and the flowers form above the leaves. Their length is usually about 45 centimeters, and the number of flowers is 40 or more. The color of the flowers can be pink, white, bright red or two-tone. Often, varieties with light flowers have white seeds, those with pink flowers have brown or reddish-brown seeds, and those with purple flowers have dark, almost black seeds.

The fruit of the bean plant is a bean (scapula) from 8 to 25 centimeters long and contains up to 12 seeds of a wide variety of shapes and colors. In shape they are straight, saber-shaped, curved, sickle-shaped, xiphoid or cylindrical. The weight of 1000 small seeds does not exceed 300 grams, and large ones - no more than 450 grams.

According to archaeological excavations, in ancient times the bean plant was cultivated in tropical America. The seeds of this culture have been found in the fossil remains of early Mexican and Peruvian peoples. It is well known that beans, along with pumpkin and corn, formed the triad of the most important cultivated plants of ancient Mexico. Moreover, beans and corn were grown in joint plantings: corn played the role of support for climbing varieties of beans. In a word, our distant ancestors knew a lot about intensive farming).

Don't make my mistake of planting climbing beans in an open bed, and you won't have to use arches or other unsuitable objects for support.

The bean plant is characterized by great variability, that is, there are many species and subspecies of this crop. And in its homeland it is found both in the form of an annual, biennial and even perennial and is represented by liana-like, climbing and creeping varieties with a huge number of side shoots intertwined with each other. Bush varieties of beans appeared as a result of spontaneous mutations of the original species and were introduced into culture through human efforts.

From tropical America, beans were brought by Spanish travelers to Europe. At first it was cultivated exclusively as an ornamental plant. However, in the 17th century, when the nutritional value of beans became known, it quickly became very popular in all European countries. In Russia, it has also been cultivated for quite a long time, but in our country, grain beans are more common, in which the ripened seeds are used for food. By the way, beans came to our country from Turkey and Georgia, so at first they were called Turkish beans. Green beans have not yet earned wide recognition among Russian summer residents (you can read more about different types of beans).

One of the main reasons for the unsuccessful experience of growing vegetable beans is insufficient knowledge of its biology, agricultural technology and the wrong choice of varieties. Therefore, we will begin our acquaintance with this healthy and tasty vegetable with a biological portrait.

Beans are herbaceous annual plants of the legume family of the bean genus. This genus is very large and includes about 200 species, distributed mainly in the subtropical regions of America, South Asia and Africa.

According to the nature of their growth, vegetable beans can be bush or climbing.

The stem is herbaceous, branching, green, gray-green, pink or purple. Its length for bush varieties of beans is 25-60 cm, for climbing varieties it is 2-5 m, which allows these plants to be used for landscaping pergolas, gazebos, and hedges. Bush varieties vary in the compactness of the bush: it can be dense, compressed or spreading.

The root system of beans is taproot, in climbing varieties it penetrates to a depth of 1 m, occupying a space within a radius of 60 cm. In bush beans, the root system is less developed, mainly located at a depth of 20-30 cm. The taproot also penetrates to a shallow depth. But at the same time, the lateral roots are thick and are not inferior to it in length.

A special type of beneficial nodule bacteria forms on the roots of beans, capable of, in symbiosis with the plant, saturating the soil with nitrogen taken from the air. Under favorable conditions, from 500 to 700 nodules are formed on the roots of just one plant! As a result, after harvesting the beans, enriched soil remains. During the season, up to 44 g of nitrogen per 10 m2 accumulates in it.

Bean leaves are compound, trifoliate with large pointed, oval leaves. The first pair of leaves is simple, the subsequent ones are imparipinnate. Stipules are small, lanceolate or ovate. The color of the leaf blade is yellow-green or dark green with a purple tint.

The flowers of the bean are of the moth type, bisexual, small, composed of 5 petals, collected in a raceme-like inflorescence. Bush varieties bloom for 20-25 days, climbing varieties from 1 to 3 months. Peduncles are short, axillary or apical, often with a pair of flowers.

In multi-flowered bean varieties, the peduncles are long and the flowers are formed above the leaves. The length of the inflorescences reaches 45 cm, and the number of flowers in each is 40 or more. They can be white, pink, bright red, purple or two-tone. There is a certain connection between the color of flowers and the color of seeds. Varieties with darker petals also have dark seeds.

The fruit is a bean (lolatja) 8-25 cm long and containing up to 12 seeds of various shapes and colors. In shape they can be straight, curved, sword-shaped, saber-shaped, sickle-shaped, flat or cylindrical.

All varieties of beans can be divided into 3 groups: with sugar beans, semi-sugar beans and shelled beans.

Hulling varieties are distinguished by a rough, thick parchment layer located in the thickness of the bean flaps. They are grown mainly for seeds, that is, for grain. Semi-sugar varieties with a weak or late developing parchment layer. The most delicious sugar beans (asparagus beans), without a parchment layer and coarse fibers in the seams of the beans, are picked at technical ripeness. At this time, the beans reach the characteristic length of the variety; the seeds inside them are still small, tender, and unripe. But if desired, these beans can also be grown for grain, after waiting for the seeds to fully ripen.

The color of beans at technical ripeness depends on the variety; they can be green in various shades, yellow (waxy) and purple, single-colored and with a pattern of crimson or purple marbling. When ripe, they become whitish, yellowish-brown, pinkish-brown or retain a green color.

Bean seeds are separated by size and weight. Their length ranges from 7 to 21 mm, and the weight of 100 pieces is from 19 to 80 g. They remain viable for 5-6 years.

The color of the seeds can be of all colors and shades, plain or with a pattern. At the same time, the color, as well as the shine of the seeds, change during storage. Changes occur faster if the seeds are kept in the light or in damp rooms.

The bean is a self-pollinator; the anthers crack before the flower opens. In hot, dry years, cross-pollination occurs with small insects, as well as bees and bumblebees.

For early ripening varieties, 45-60 days pass from germination to the first harvest of fruits (the full growing season is 80-100 days), late-ripening first beans are harvested after 55-75 days (the full growing season is 100-130 days). Mid-season varieties occupy an intermediate place.

Beans are considered a heat-loving crop, but not heat-resistant. At high temperatures, fruits do not set. Seeds begin to germinate at a temperature of 10°C. at lower levels they rot. The optimal temperature for the development of seedlings is 20-22°C, for the growth of bush bean plants 18-24°C, climbing beans 25-28°C.

Trim the ends of green beans, remove fibers from the wings, cut into pieces 2-4 cm in size. Place in boiling water for 3-5 minutes and cool. Place on a baking sheet and dry in the oven for 5-6 hours at 70°C. Store in a dry and cool place. Before use, place in water for 2 hours to swell.

Young beans are very sensitive to returning cold and spring frosts. At a temperature of 0°C, seedlings die. Adult plants tolerate summer cold temperatures of 7-10°C normally, at least better than many heat-loving crops. They also tolerate short-term autumn frosts of minus 4°C.

Vegetable beans are a moisture-loving crop, demanding soil and air moisture. During drought, the plants will not die, but the beans will be fibrous, and small grains will form in shelled varieties. Water is especially needed during seed germination.

Like many vegetables, beans are not damaged by stagnation of water. Because of this, plants stop growing, fruits and ovaries fall off, and productivity decreases. Excessive moisture at low temperatures is especially dangerous. Under such conditions, plants are severely affected by diseases, seed ripening is delayed, their germination rate is reduced, and their shelf life is halved.

Beans are photophilous, especially when young. Its plants have an amazing property: they are able to regulate the position of the leaves, placing them perpendicular to the rays of the sun. Like all crops of southern origin, beans are short-day plants. But varieties adapted to the middle zone usually react poorly to daytime duration.

Beans have increased demands on soil. Does not like heavy, dense, sour. And he loves chernozems or well-fertilized sandy loam or light loamy soils with a neutral and slightly acidic soil reaction (pH 6.2-7.5).

It is not the lack of essential nutrients that causes beans to react acutely. When there is a lack of nitrogen in the soil, the leaves of young plants turn yellow; when there is a deficiency of phosphorus, they become dull in color, then turn yellow and become reddish. With insufficient potassium, the leaf blades turn yellow, curl, and the edges become brown.

Beans respond very well to mineral fertilizing. You just need to remember that nitrogen fertilizers should be fed only at the very beginning of growth. He loves beans and fertilizing with microfertilizers: boron, zinc, copper, manganese, molybdenum, etc.

Beans can be sown on a flat surface (in rows spaced 45-50 cm apart) or in beds (with double rows 45+20 cm). In a row, the seeds are laid out every 15-20 cm. They are embedded in moist soil to a depth of 2-3 cm, and buried in dry soil to a depth of 4-5 cm. If the soil is too loose or dry, which happens in a dry spring, the furrows are watered before sowing, and Having sowed, they fall asleep and lightly compact with the back of a rake or simply with the palm of your hand. Beans are sown carefully, trying not to drop a single seed on the ground, so as not to attract birds. To protect against them, twigs stuck in the garden bed help. But it is better to cover the crops with non-woven material. At the same time, seedlings should not be kept under cover for a long time, since there is a high risk of damage by slugs.

Beans can be grown as a firming agent for cucumbers, potatoes and cabbage. Usually it is sown in 2 terms: the first time in late May-early June, the second - 10 days later.

Soil care. After the emergence of seedlings, the soil is loosened, simultaneously removing weeds, and mulched with sawdust, peat or other material. The first time loosening is carried out when the plants reach a height of 7 cm. This is done carefully so as not to damage the roots. After 2 weeks, the rows are loosened to a depth of cm, and the beans are hilled. Before closing the rows, a final loosening is carried out, also with hilling of the plants.

Watering. Beans need to be watered taking into account their biological characteristics. So, when leaves form and beans set, plants need additional moisture. And after the formation of 4-5 leaves and before flowering, beans should not be watered, since excess moisture during this period contributes to the growth of leaves to the detriment of fruiting. However, when flowering begins, watering must be resumed. Lack of water during this period causes the buds to fall off.

Feeding. Increased doses of fertilizers, especially nitrogen ones, cause powerful stem growth and intensive leaf formation, but fewer beans are formed. Only if the plants are in a depressed state and on poor soil, they are given a starting dose of nitrogen fertilizers (10-15 g/mg). Feeding with superphosphate (30-40 g/m2) and potassium salt (10-15 g/m2) is timed to coincide with the budding period. During the ripening of beans, plants respond well to the addition of ash (40-60 g/m2). For beans, foliar feeding with solutions of microelements on the leaves is also very useful.

Harvesting. Harvesting of beans begins when the seeds reach the size of a wheat grain and the beans are 514 cm, which usually happens 8-10 days after the formation of the ovary. For canning, harvest later when the seeds reach 1 cm in diameter. They continue to harvest until the leaves begin to wilt, when the neck of the bean becomes empty.

Beans are harvested in the morning, since in the hot part of the day the beans quickly wither and lose their marketable quality. Sugar varieties are harvested every 5-6 days. In semi-sugar varieties, the beans quickly become coarse, so they should be collected more frequently.

Harvesting of beans for grain begins at the stage of waxy ripeness. Plants are pulled out of the ground, tied into bunches and hung with their roots up in the attic or under a canopy for 2 weeks for ripening. Then the beans are cleaned and the seeds are stored in a cool, dry place. Under favorable conditions, 1-1.8 kg of beans or 100-150 g of seeds are obtained from 1 m2.

Seeds for sowing. Several well-developed plants are selected for seed production. If there are beans nearby that have unusual bush, flower, or fruit size, they should be removed. And if sugar beans are chosen for the seeds, there should not be shelling-type plants nearby.

Harvesting begins when the lower beans are ripe and the seeds have hardened and acquired the typical color of the variety. If you need to speed up ripening, pinch off the tops of the plants. More grains are placed in the upper beans, which are better illuminated by the sun. On average, 40-60 g of seeds are collected from one bean bush.

The cut beans are ripened. To do this, they are laid out in a well-ventilated area or outdoors under a canopy. Then the seeds are freed from the valves and dried to a moisture content of 15%. Store at a temperature of 18-20°C in a place inaccessible to mice and bean grains. It is best to put it in a glass jar with a screw-on lid. Seeds obtained in dry weather remain viable for 5-6 years.

Predecessors– tomato, cucumber, potato, cabbage.

Lighting- light-loving.

Watering– moderate.

The soil– fertile, light soil.

Landing- seeds.

Beans have been known since ancient times. It appeared in Russia in the 17th century. Several species are cultivated around the world. This plant is heat-loving. You should not sow seeds early - they may die from frost. The seeds must be taken large. They will allow you to get good powerful shoots. Normally, germination should be at least 90%. It is advisable to prepare the seeds before sowing. The best temperature for their development is 18-25 °C. During drought, flowers may fall off, and during cold weather the plant becomes more susceptible to various diseases. Plantings do best on light and fertile soils.

Acidic and heavy soils should not be used. The best time for sowing in central Russia is after May 20-25. By this time, the soil should already be warmed up. If the soil is heavy and warms up with difficulty, then sowing can be postponed to the beginning of summer. If sowing is early, you can protect the seedlings from bad weather. Build a kind of greenhouse in the garden bed - cover the bed with a wooden frame, which is covered with a transparent film. And install the frame itself on bricks.

If nest sowing was carried out, protective caps are used. To get an early harvest, you can use the seedling method of growing. It is good to grow crops around cabbage, potatoes, cucumbers and beets. As a rule, no fertilizing is required. In addition, it must be remembered that nitrogen fertilizers can negatively affect the yield. Since such fertilizing activates vegetative growth - the formation of stems and leaves.

Bean roots

The plant has a taproot. Quite strongly branched, has lateral roots. Most of the bean roots are in the arable layer. But individual roots can go to a depth of up to 75 cm.

Plant roots can absorb nitrogen from the air thanks to nitrogen-fixing bacteria. They also help absorb poorly soluble phosphorus compounds. Therefore, if the soil is sufficiently fertile, plantings do not require unnecessary fertilizing. In addition, a developed root system is able to provide plants with the necessary moisture. Hilling is not carried out.

Consumption of beans and bean pods

Benefits of beans

Due to its large amount of protein, it is often recommended to be included in vegetarian diets. Zinc helps synthesize insulin. The product is necessary in the diet of patients with diabetes. It enhances the secretion of gastric juice and removes stones from the gallbladder. Improves genitourinary function and potency. Relieves inflammatory processes in the liver, regulates salt metabolism. The vegetable is useful for tuberculosis, atherosclerosis, hypertension, and heart rhythm disturbances. It normalizes metabolism, helps to lose excess weight, and has a beneficial effect on the nervous system. Frequent use of the product helps prevent the formation of tartar.

The beneficial properties of beans have a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system. In folk medicine, the fruits are used to treat urolithiasis and diabetes. Extracts from the husks of beans and pods are a powerful hypoglycemic agent. They help lower blood sugar. Bean husk tincture has antibiotic properties. Even in ancient Rome, bean flour was used to treat various skin diseases and to whiten the skin. So the benefits of beans have been known for a very long time.

Diseases and pests of green beans

Various pests and diseases cause great harm to plantings. The most common disease of green beans is anthracnose. It affects plants in the non-chernozem zone. Dark brown spots cover all above-ground parts of the plant. The disease is transmitted through infected seeds and crop residues. To avoid anthracosis, it is necessary to use healthy seeds and maintain crop rotation. Diseased plantings must be sprayed with a solution of Bordeaux mixture. Before planting, you can pre-warm the seeds.

Plants are also often affected by bacterial spot or bacteriosis. The disease is characterized by oily spots that have a light border. They appear on leaves, stems, beans and petioles. The plant becomes wrinkled and dries out. The disease spreads in the same way as anthracosis - through infected seeds and through crop residues. The measures to combat it are the same.

Common bean (Phaseolus Vlgaris)

This is an annual, bushy, highly climbing plant, its vines reach up to 70 centimeters in length, a plant of the legume family. Beans are the oldest cultivated plant. Its homeland is considered to be South America, where it was grown by the Indians since ancient times, and it was one of the most important agricultural crops. But there is information that beans are also mentioned in the annals of Ancient Egypt and Ancient Rome. The ancient Romans not only ate beans, but also used them for cooking. In Europe, beans appeared as a food and medicinal plant in the middle of the 16th century; there are indications about this in herbalists of those times. It is not known where the beans came from to Russia. There are suggestions that they were first brought from France, since for a very long time the beans were called “French beans.” In the beginning, beans were bred in Russia as an ornamental plant, and only in the 17th century did beans become widespread as a food crop.

Beans are a valuable food crop. In terms of their composition, bean proteins are not much inferior to meat proteins and are very well absorbed by the human body. Today, beans rank second in popularity among legume food crops. For many peoples of southern countries, beans are the main food crop.

Root system: The root of the bean is tap root, highly branched. Most of the root system is located under the top layers of soil, but there are roots that go into the ground to a depth of 75 centimeters. Beans have one very remarkable property: like peas and other legumes, they are able to extract nitrogen from the air, thereby enriching the soil. After harvesting, the roots of the plant are left in the soil as organic fertilizer.

Stem:
Some varieties of beans have a herbaceous, curly stem, while others have a straight, highly branched stem covered with sparse, stiff hairs.

The leaves are pinnate on long petioles.

Bean flowers come in white, pink and purple colors. Collected in short axillary racemes of 2-6 pieces on long stalks.

Medicinal raw materials:

Well-ripened and yellowed bean pods are used for medicinal purposes. In some cases, in folk medicine, flowers and pericarps are used as medicine. The raw material (pod leaves) has an antidiabetic effect. Ripe bean fruits contain amino acids, arginine, trigonelline, pyrazine, leucine, lysine, tryptophan, choline, asparagine and hemicellulose, organic and mineral acids, phosphorus and potassium salts, ascorbic acid and group vitamins. Arginine contained in beans has an insulin-like effect on metabolism in the body.

Collection and preparations: For medicinal purposes, dry leaves of the pods are used after they are fully ripe. They are collected in August and early September. There are varieties of beans whose young, unripe, so-called flageolets, pods are eaten.

Application:
Beans contain a whole list of nutrients and minerals that are beneficial to the human body. But unfortunately, it has not found its application in scientific medicine.

In folk medicine of different countries, its healing qualities have been used since ancient times. Water infusions and decoctions from the pods are used to treat various diseases of the kidneys and bladder, hypertension, cardiovascular weakness, chronic rheumatism, and gout.

A decoction of dried bean flowers is drunk for kidney stones. It is common among people to use bean flour to cover various types of eczema and skin rashes. An aqueous solution from the valves is used for edema caused by kidney disease. For rheumatism, it is recommended to drink a decoction of the pericarp. Beans are an important food product in the diet of patients with diabetes. Eating beans helps reduce blood sugar.

Vegetable beans enhance the secretion of gastric juice. Bean puree is included in diets as dietary dishes for patients with gastritis and liver disease, but its use should be somewhat limited, since some substances can cause bloating.

We have already met various species and learned about how amazing this plant is.

Now let's talk about growing beans, about what they need during the growth process.

If you find out in advance in what conditions it likes to grow, then growing beans will not cause you much trouble.

Tasty, beautiful when flowering, healthy beans are obtained this way when you invest labor in cultivating them.

The first thing we need to study is how to provide future “vegetable meat” during the growth period. So that the beans can then provide food for the owners who raised them.

What do growing beans need?

Like any plant, beans, already at the germination stage, for successful germination you need:

• Warmth – the culture is thermophilic. Beans sown too early, not receiving enough heat, may rot and not germinate.
• Light. Without light there is no photosynthesis. Without photosynthesis, plant life is impossible. It's a matter of quantity. Beans love light. She probably won’t refuse to “live” in a well-lit area, although she will tolerate partial shade out of hopelessness. It is also important to consider what the plant is like in relation to the length of the day. Beans need short daylight hours. Then it sets and forms fruits faster. And on a long day (over 12 hours) it expels a lot of mass, expending energy and nutrition on it, without giving a good harvest. This can be varied by sowing dates by region. Sow beans so that at the time of flowering and fruiting the days are also short. Or select special varieties - there are those that do not respond to day length, but form a harvest.
• Moisture. All living organisms need it, and even more so those that receive nutrition in a solution from the earth. Quite large bean seeds, falling into the ground dry, must absorb a lot of moisture in order to swell and awaken. Therefore, beans already from the most tender period require good hydration. It will take moisture and then form a mass. And especially - when the beans bloom, then their grains are poured, the beans gain mass.
• Nutrition. Even a gardener loves good soil when he digs or loosens it. Beans also love loose, nutritious soil with a neutral or slightly alkaline environment.

All this must be provided to the beloved bean, only then can one expect a return adequate to the work: a good, high-quality harvest.

Pre-sowing seed preparation

Often, gardeners sow beans “as is,” simply placing them in the soil without preparing them in any way.

If you're lucky, there will be some harvest. It’s better not to rely on “ifs,” but to take time to prepare the bean grains before sowing them.

Summer residents have accumulated many tricks for this preparation.

What is desirable, even necessary, to be done with the seeds of future bean plants?

Bean seeds can be:

• Freeze. After keeping dry bean seeds in the freezer for two days at 15° (no more) below zero, the grower is guaranteed to get rid of the bean weevil, the most annoying pest of beans. By the time of sowing, the pest is in a vulnerable phase; it will not be able to withstand such frost.
• Warm up in the sun. If the weather permits, the temperature is suitable, such heating will not harm the seeds. But in the spring there is rarely enough temperature to disinfect from possible pathogenic microorganisms - even in sunny places. And when warming it up artificially (near heating devices, ovens), it is difficult to control the temperature, not to overheat, and not to destroy the seeds. When warming up, follow the regime: seeds are living organisms.
• Go through. It is necessary. We're not the only ones who love beans. Despite all our efforts to protect her from other lovers, no one can guarantee that we succeeded. Bean grains have annoying “tenants” lurking inside. Pests that overwinter right in the “dining room”. During the winter they spoil the seed, eating its contents. Therefore, when sorting, it is necessary to remove all suspicious seeds. Wrinkled, flat, holey or hole-like dots, lightweight seeds should be removed. Then it’s better to burn it. Or, after boiling it well, feed it to animals. Heat treatment is required. This neutralizes the pest and the beans themselves: until they are cooked until tender, the seeds contain a toxic component: phasin. It is deactivated during cooking - destroyed.
• Calibrate. Sometimes the inside of a bean grain is “scarred” by a pest, but it got inside so unnoticed that it is difficult to see the damage. A warm, slightly salted solution will help. By dipping the seeds into it for about five minutes, you will see separation. Sorting. Full-bodied seeds will sink to the bottom, damaged, light ones will float to the surface. Take them off. Rinse the rest first with plain clean water. They are already partially disinfected with salt. You can lay it out on a towel to drain the liquid, then dry it on paper.
• Additionally, disinfect with a solution of potassium permanganate. The seeds, calibrated in water (salted) and washed, should not be dried, but placed for another five minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Only then remove (you can use a colander) from the water - onto a cloth, then onto paper. You can dry it on a sunny windowsill. If the time for sowing has not yet come, dry it thoroughly. And when the beds, holes or furrows have already been prepared, you can immediately carry the seeds to the garden.
• Germinate. After disinfection and drying, seeds are often sown without germinating. But if the zone is warm, the weather is favorable and there are conditions for watering, it won’t hurt to germinate beans. They are sprouted in different ways:
  - The old fashioned way - in a damp cloth, you can place it in a polyethylene bag;
  - Innovatively, moistening cotton balls with melt water, on which the beans are placed in a glass container. They are then placed in a warm place. Through the glass it is easy to observe when they hatch;
  - It’s easier and more reliable to take a piece of thin foam rubber and wash it in a solution of potassium permanganate. Rinse, place the seeds on one half, cover them with the other, folding the foam in half. Secure with strings or rubber bands to prevent it from unraveling. Place in a plastic container, adding a little water to the bottom. Cover with a lid and keep warm. Check it in a day. Most likely, everything will be ready for sowing. The main rule: if you decide to germinate, remember that seeds already sown in the soil should not dry out. Otherwise they will die and will not make it to the top. Dry seeds that fall into the soil will “deal” with the moisture themselves. Although they also need watering if there has been at least one rain.
• Feed with microfertilizers. This is rarely done, but the returns will become noticeable already during the growth period. In a weak solution of a mixture of ammonium nitric oxide and boric acid - equal parts, 2 g per bucket of warm water, the seeds are placed in a cloth or colander, or you can simply pour them into a bucket if there are a lot of them. Leave for 5 minutes. Afterwards they are laid out to dry, do not wash.

Choosing a place for beans

The gardener decides where to place the beans, taking into account a number of circumstances:

• Type of bean (bush, climbing or the “younger sister” of climbing - semi-climbing);
• Planned crop rotation;
• Availability of irrigation;
• Site orientation;
• Location of buildings on the site;
• Proximity or remoteness of garden plantings;
• The height of standing water under the soil (groundwater);
• The quality of the soil - its structure, nutritional value, appearance.

Not a single item on the above list can be neglected if you need a good harvest.

Each circumstance affects the life of the plant in its own way. Comprehensively selected optimal conditions will give the beans the opportunity to show themselves.

No matter how productive the variety is, if you grow beans according to the “sow and forget” principle, the harvest will be according to a different principle. That is: “depending on your luck.”

It’s easy to understand how conditions influence if you look closely.

Type of beans. Bush requires separate placement.

She is usually short, joint plantings are not for her, there may not be enough light and nutrition.

Individual plots are allocated for bush beans.

Semi-climbing and climbing – these types of beans get along easily with their neighbors. Corn and sunflower are their best friends and support (in the literal sense).

Beans use the strong, tall stems of these crops as supports and climb along them. The space provided by the planting scheme (70 x 70 or more centimeters) is good for the main crops - sunflower, corn - and for the beans themselves.

There is enough for everyone. Sun, food, place.

Climbing beans can be placed on pergolas and gazebos if desired. It will decorate any prominent places if the variety is decorative.

Long-lasting and beautifully flowering varieties can serve exclusively decorative purposes.

But they can perform two tasks - decorate and produce edible vegetable beans or grain, unevenly ripening beans.

You will harvest one crop, another will ripen, and along the edges of the bush and in its height there will be a garland of flowers. Beautiful and useful.

Planned crop rotation. Legumes are always welcome in crop rotation. Their roots are designed in such a way that nitrogen-fixing bacteria live in special root nodules.

This is a unique property in the plant world: the ability to absorb (fix) nitrogen from the air.

And it’s okay that these nodules and bacteria are in the ground. There is definitely air there too.

Otherwise, not a single plant will be able to survive - it will get wet. Legumes have a special root air exchange. The nitrogen accumulated by small nodules remains in them.

The roots (or remains of roots) rot in the soil, and the soil itself is enriched with nitrogen. Without any other fertilizers it receives the substance necessary for the growth of any plant.

Legumes fertilize the soil. Excellent predecessors to many cultures.

The representative of the family itself, the bean, also loves soil - it is nutritious.

Crops with a strong removal of nutrients from the surface layers, where the root system of beans is located, are not suitable as predecessors.

Beans grow together with sunflowers, but after that it is not a suitable option. And there will be little food left, and fungal diseases (rot) may become common.

Beans are not sown after the beans themselves. There is not only the same removal of nutrients (the previous bean has already “eaten” what the next one needs), but the risk of disease and pest damage increases.

The same goes for legumes in general. There is no need to sow after peas, china, beans, even alfalfa.

In the soil and on plant debris, pathogenic microorganisms and general pests may well overwinter in the overwintering phase.

If the plot is small, crop rotation is more difficult, but before three years (preferably five), it is better not to return the beans to their original place.

Beans are good after root vegetables and potatoes. A good predecessor: pumpkin and its entire family (cucumbers, melon, squash, zucchini).

Cabbage will also work, but you will need to fertilize the soil layer - cabbage takes its food from the same soil horizon from which the beans will feed.

Food preferences, however, differ among cultures. It is important that beans have almost no common pests with these predecessors.

Onions and carrots are also not related to beans, and besides, they are modest in nutrition and do not deplete the soil. They are also suitable as predecessors.

Beans are also sown after nightshade vegetables: eggplants, tomatoes, peppers.

It is especially convenient to sow beans as the second crop of the season. After early, already harvested vegetables.

In the south - after winter carrots and beets are harvested for early bunch production. It turns out there are two harvests from the plot - first root crops, then beans.

The second crop of beans is also successful after early greens and early cabbage.

Irrigation availability. Bush beans do not require a lot of moisture, climbing beans have more greenery, so you need to water them more.

Sometimes the growing seasons are favorable in terms of weather, and then there is almost no need to specifically water the beans.

But it doesn’t happen year after year either. One good, strong rain will fall, and the seeds in the soil will swell and sprouts will hatch.

During this period, moisture is vital for a newborn bean plant. And suddenly - drought. This is death, without options.

To save a bean plot, it needs to be watered, constantly maintaining moisture. Only then will the shoots appear and grow stronger.

Therefore, irrigation or water for it - nearby - must be available. Water is also needed later, when the time for flowering and fruiting approaches.

Site orientation. The plots are oriented differently. Often oriented in a north-south direction.

It seems to be what we need. But traditionally, gardeners divide the plot with a path in half lengthwise, and make beds across it.

Then the plantings will be oriented differently: “west – east”. For better use of sunlight by the leaves, it is preferable to place the rows in the first direction, from north to south.

If it is not possible to arrange the beds like this (it is inconvenient to make many elongated beds or plant them along the entire garden), there is a way out.

Fill the beds as usual, but then plant beans on them, making furrows not along the bed. Transverse, short, the width of the bed, rows will be oriented correctly.

And they will take as much sunlight as they need. What is required is 12 hours a day, more is not necessary, less is undesirable.

The bean itself helps itself to “catch” the light. On sunny days, when it is hot, the plant opens its leaf, placing it horizontally.

The leaf plate takes in maximum light, while simultaneously evaporating maximum moisture, thereby cooling itself and protecting it from overheating.

At night, in the dark and cool, the leaves rest: they fall down. At the same time, dew flows from them and does not stagnate - protection against fungus.

Amazing plant.

Location of buildings and gardens. These factors influence in two ways. If you don’t plant it close, it will shade it and affect growth and yield.

But at a distance slightly greater than the shadow “reaches” it’s not a bad idea to plant. Additional protection from winds and cold.

Occurrence of groundwater. This value is an important indicator.

If the water is close to the surface, flooding occurs during rains - this is not a place for beans.

It cannot stand flooding, it simply gets wet and dies. Choose a higher place, if available.

If not, build a high ridge, especially for beans. And don't forget about drainage. Then everything will work out.

Soil quality. Beans will not succeed in heavy, compacted clay soils.

Cultivated loams are suitable. Even better if it is black soil. Fertilized sandy loam soils are also good.

The main thing is structure: friability, lightness and nutritional value of the soil. Does not tolerate acidic and waterlogged soils.

Beans prefer a neutral or close to slightly alkaline soil solution.

Salt marshes are not suitable, but they usually don’t risk planting gardens there.

Summer residents usually don’t run to the laboratory with soil samples. But it is possible to understand the state of the “plant feeder,” and at the same time our nurse, without a laboratory.

Weeds will help with this. They will silently tell you the necessary information.

Based on the weeds growing on the site, acidity is determined as follows:

• Mayweed. Perhaps information about it is not familiar to everyone, but this plant is practically a twin of chamomile in appearance. The navel is often mistakenly called chamomile. There is only one pronounced difference - the receptacle (the top of the stem, formed by the cup in which the flower is located). In chamomile it is hollow, but in the navel it is conical, membranous, and has no cavity. If there is a navel on the site, the soil is acidic.
• Sour sorrel, mint, wild rosemary, wheatgrass, yellow sweet clover, horsetail, and plantain are also lovers of sour things.
• But where the bindweed scattered its stems, the soil is alkaline.
• Quinoa, shepherd's purse, woodlice will tell the gardener: lucky, the soil is close to neutral, many vegetables like this, not just beans.

If the soil is “not very good”, it is worth analyzing what is wrong with it for beans. A lot can be corrected: the soil is acidic - liming will help.

Not light enough - improve by adding organic matter, sand, even sawdust can help.

There are also areas that seem to be made with patchwork: somewhere the plot is better, somewhere it’s worse.

The plantain prefers some places, while bindweed traditionally settles in others.

In such a garden, you can simply choose a “section” suitable specifically for beans and prepare the crop for planting.

Soil preparation

Any crop is sown or planted in soil prepared specifically for its needs.

Then she will respond to care with good growth.

You can get a decent bean harvest only by starting to prepare the soil in advance:

• In the fall, the soil is dug up.
• Focusing on the quality of the soil, add organic matter (mature compost, well-rotted manure) in moderate quantities for digging. Organic fertilizers, among other substances, are rich in nitrogen. Legumes do not need large amounts of it; they can extract this mineral directly from the air.
• Acidic soils are limed.
• More attention is paid to the structure; it is necessary to ensure that the area is loose. Add sand if necessary.
• They mark the location of future ridges. It shouldn't flood.
• In spring, the soil is leveled with a rake and harrowed. You can first scatter sifted ash over the surface as an additional fertilizer.
• Before sowing, ridges are formed, if necessary. Or they cut furrows for sowing.
• The holes are filled according to the pattern chosen for a particular variety.

Sowing beans

Sowing dates. Beans are sown taking into account their heat-loving properties. It, of course, can swell and wake up already at +10°.

In the soil, next to the seed, so that there is something like this. But these are far from optimal heat conditions for the crop.

At low temperatures, the weather is usually still unstable, and it can suddenly get cold. Such a turn to the cold can not only stop growth, but even destroy the beans, not even on the vine, but just about to germinate.

Sprouted bean seeds are especially sensitive to lack of heat. If you germinate, do so only in such a way that sowing occurs at the time of optimal temperatures.

In the South it’s simpler: the chestnut tree has bloomed, which means the soil is just ready for sowing beans. Its temperature in the landing layer is above 10°. The indicator is correct, the chestnut can’t go wrong.

To the north, you need to take a closer look at the condition of the native plants when the temperature is suitable for sowing beans.

Each region has its own signs. If weather forecasters report that average daily temperatures in the region are 15 degrees or higher, bean planting can begin.

It is good if it is possible to cover the seedlings with a temporary film frame. Frosts are an unpredictable thing even in the South (they happen occasionally in June), and beans cannot withstand such weather.

April - May are the months for sowing beans, only the numbers shift to adjust for the terrain.

How to sow beans. Beans are sown either dry - if there is no confidence that the cold will not return, or you can soak them overnight before sowing.

The second option is when stable heat has established, rainfall occurs and it is possible to keep the soil on the plot moist (water).

There is more here - the desire of the grower plays a role in the choice: to soak or not.

• The seeds of beans are not small; they are not sown superficially. Otherwise, they can ascend, but they are unlikely to stay firmly in the ground. Wind or rain will easily lay down finely planted beans. It is customary to sow to a matchbox depth of 5 cm.
• The planting scheme is chosen according to the capabilities of the site. The minimum for bush forms is 30 by 40 cm (distances in rows and row spacing). There is an opportunity to provide more power supply area - give it, it won’t make things worse. It is good if beans are sowed by arranging the holes in a checkerboard pattern. This will provide better lighting and nutrition. Place two to three seeds in the hole. This is insurance. When they sprout and become strong, thin them out. The best will remain. If everything is good, you can leave two plants (just do not sow them side by side, distribute them over the hole), and carefully transplant the third one, like seedlings. Or transplant two, leaving one in the hole. When there are plenty of seeds, you can sow five at a time. Especially the climbing one - from one hole along the trellis you can shoot branches of two plants at once - in different directions.
• Dry seeds can be planted in moist soil without watering if the humidity is low. In case of high humidity or sowing with paved/sprouted seeds, cover the hole with soil and water it after gently pressing the soil onto the seeds. You can press it with the flat of a hoe or even with your hands. Sprinkle a little unspilled soil on top to protect against crusting.
• Climbing plants are more powerful, they are planted with half-meter row spacing, at the same distance as bush forms of beans - 30 cm. High (two-meter) supports are prepared in advance. Beans can easily wrap around any beans, but it is better to choose wooden ones. They do not heat up from the sun like metal or polymers. Although wood is inferior to them in terms of durability. But it spares the stems of the bean plant.
• If corn or sunflowers are also sown on the site, climbing beans can be planted in the same hole with them. It’s impossible to think of a more environmentally friendly support. These crops are friends and are often grown together. The planting is compact, the harvest is double (seeds and beans), the benefits are obvious. And there is less maintenance: with supports there is no need to work.

Crop care

Weeding, loosening. Until the beans sprout, the plot is kept free of weeds.

Weeds sprout quickly, so it’s worth keeping an eye on them. It is good to periodically loosen the top layer: there will already be threads in it - legs (stems) of weeds.

It is convenient to trim them with a flat cutter. Easy, fast, reliable. At the same time, the soil crust is destroyed, moisture is retained.

The surface soil crust that forms after rain must be loosened. The same goes for after watering.

Moisture leaves very quickly through cracks in the surface crust, rising even from deep layers.

Therefore, you should not be late with loosening. This operation - loosening the crust - in the language of professionals means “closing moisture”.

This is true. The “gate” closes, through which moisture can escape.

Mulching. You cannot treat the holes with a flat cutter before germination. There is a high probability of seedling damage.

A crust does not form underneath. Weeds, while they are still weak, will be slower to make their way to the top.

And the bean seed has a powerful sprout. The sand won't hurt him at all. If the layer is thin, of course.

In about a week and a half, the plant will bring the cotyledons to the surface.

Then it will be possible to remove weeds side by side - either manually or with a flat cutter: the tool is maneuverable.

Hilling. Bean seedlings will develop better and hold on stronger if, after allowing them to grow a little (up to fifteen centimeters), you lightly hill up the plants.

This will protect the roots from overheating in hot climates.

When the beans begin to set, a second, more intensive hilling is carried out.

This is not only support, but also an increase in the future harvest. The reception also enhances the bush’s resistance to disease.

Watering. This technique is optional. When - the weather and the condition of the soil and plants will tell.

As long as it’s not too hot, the leaves don’t wilt, the soil doesn’t dry out—there’s no need for extra watering.

If there is a crust, or the heat is coming, water it. You will have to balance with watering: beans love the golden mean.

If there is not enough water or, on the contrary, the soil is waterlogged, the beans lose color and the ovaries fall off.

It is better to practice watering in the morning: watering at night does not live up to expectations, although it helps plants live.

By watering the plant in the morning, you will provide it with moisture for the hot afternoon, which is critical for plants, and the afternoon hours too.

And in the evening the heat subsides, moisture from the air returns to the ground as dew. And in the ground it “pulls up” to the top layer.

Those who like to experiment can take two plots (or two halves of the bed) and water them differently.

One traditionally - at night, the other - in the morning. Then compare the results and choose the method you like.

Beans are responsive to sprinkling; it is more physiological than regular watering at the root.

Stimulating flowering. This technique is also associated with watering. When there is a lack of moisture, plants bloom earlier. Urgently.

They are in a hurry to give birth. Man has learned to use it.

The beans have grown with several well-formed leaves - strong, the stem and leaves are quite powerful, you can stop watering. Give her an “artificial drought.” And watch.

Flowering has begun - it’s time to resume watering. At first, little by little, and as the mass gains and the intensity of flowering increases, begin to water more.

Garter. If the variety climbs, then the beans are grown on supports, or along the mesh dividing the boundary.

On the grid, the beans will “tie up” themselves - they will entwine the cells like a green hedge. You won't have to tie it up there.

If she is provided with a two-meter pole, then the powerful vine must be supported.

It is more convenient to connect the supports in a row at several levels with a strong cord. Stretch it horizontally and secure it to each of the supports.

The result will be a kind of trellis. Beans have more than one stem; from time to time they must be distributed evenly along this trellis.

This way it is more convenient to care for, and the sun is used to the maximum by the leaves.

Pinching. In order for the beans to branch well, produce new shoots, and therefore increase the yield, they must be pinched regularly.

The whip threw out several strong, full-fledged brushes, grew to one and a half to two meters - the tip must be carefully pinched.

This is done during the growing season - at will. But in August it is worth paying careful attention to pinching.

All two-meter lashes or more in length - pinch.

This will allow the emerging blades and grain to fully ripen before the end of the growing season.

Bush beans are rarely pinched, unless they are already ripe and begin to send out shoots with flowers at the end of summer.

Feeding. In properly prepared soil, pre-filled with the necessary substances, beans will grow normally without fertilizing.

But if you want larger grains and more powerful vines, then it won’t hurt to feed them. Just not nitrogen. The beans will find nitrogen on their own; it doesn’t need any extra.

But phosphorus fertilizers with watering can be given - before flowering.

When beans bloom, fertilizing with potassium fertilizers is good for better and larger bud setting. The same goes for irrigation water. It's enough.

It seems like a simple science, but when you know how to grow beans so that there is a good return, working with the crop is more interesting.

Beans are a strategic crop.

Having outlined your own internal strategy: to stock up on a healthy product for your family and having implemented this, any gardener will definitely not go wrong.

We have grown a good harvest of beans, so in the next article on this topic we will talk about its storage.

See you soon, dear readers!