Time is moving by super quick and you know what that means: More Planning!
Seed
Bush bean seeds should NOT be planted indoors as they do not transplant well.
Planting
The seeds can be planted outside about a week or two before the last frost date, however it is important to make sure that they are not planted too early as cool soil can delay germination. The ideal temperature would be around 65 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit in a location with full sun. Two seeds can be planted together at about 1 and a half inches deep and 2 inches apart. Seedlings ought to emerge in 6-14 days. After the seedlings are about 3 inches high, they can be thinned down to one plant per hole. Companion plants include beets, marigold, carrots, celery, swiss chard, corn, cucumbers, peas, potatoes, strawberries, radishes, and cabbage. We should avoid planting bush beans near onion or fennel. Mulching, as almost always, is not a bad idea. For a continuous harvest, we can plant new bush bean seeds once every two weeks.
Greenhouse/Container
For containers, they should be able to contain about 6-7 inches of soil and unobstructed drainage holes. The type of soil used is imperative as that is where the nutrients come from. As for how many plants should be sown in a container, a general rule is nine plants for every 12 inches of surface space. That may mean a bit of math in our future, but I'm sure we can handle it. Other than that, the important part is consistent water and watching out for any pests/diseases.
Maintenance
Bush beans should receive about an inch of water per week. It is best to water in the morning and water AT THE BASE and not the leaves. The benefit of bush beans compared to pole beans is that it does not require a trellis. If it is necessary, then we could fertilize after the first heavy bloom, and after the first set of pods. Weeding, like for pretty much all plants, is important.
Pests
Bush beans have a wide variety of beast including Mexican bean beetle, spider mites, aphids, thrips, cucumber beetles, Japanese beetles, cutworm, and leafhoppers. Diseases can include white mold, bean mosiac virus, anthracnose, bean rust, downy mildew, and bacterial blights. Many of the approaches towards disease prevention is simply to keep the leaves dry. That is definitely something we can do!
Harvest
After about 50-55 days, the bush beans should be producing fruit AKA the beans. We can harvest the beans when they are firm and around as thick as a pencil. Also, if the bean snaps off the plant, they are ready. When harvesting, we should either cut or snap the beans off. DO NOT tear the beans off as that means they are not ready for harvest and can damage the plant. If the seeds are bulging within the pod, it means that the bean is past its peak and will be tough.
