These beans are easy to grow and taste great right from the garden. You can call them green beans, string beans, snap beans, or haricot vert. If you want to grow green beans in your garden, here’s everything you need to know.
You can also get a copy of my “How Do I Grow Green Beans?” sheet for free and keep it with you for future use.
Green beans, unlike shelling beans, are eaten pod and all. For kids and adults alike, the crunch of biting on a raw green bean is quite satisfying. You can also roast, steam, blanch, sauté, or roast them and serve them with butter, salt, and pepper. You can also add them to soups and stews. With cream of mushroom soup and onions, green beans can be made into a casserole. Canners also love green beans because they can be used for months after a summer harvest.
The name “string beans” has stuck around, but most modern beans don’t have the stringy stuff along the seam of the pod. Sometimes the name “green beans” is wrong because there are also snap beans that are yellow, purple, or a mix of green and purple.
Green beans are a versatile vegetable that can be grown in home gardens and provide a bountiful harvest. However, proper spacing when planting green beans is crucial to support healthy plants and maximize yields. This comprehensive guide will provide tips on optimal spacing for bush and pole bean varieties.
What Happens When Beans Are Planted Too Close Together?
When seeding green beans, it can be tempting to plant the seeds close together to fit more plants in a smaller space. However, this causes problems down the line:
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Plants compete for resources like sunlight water and nutrients. This stunts growth as the plants struggle to establish themselves.
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Poor air circulation increases humidity and the risk of fungal diseases Leaf wetness from lack of airflow allows pathogens to thrive.
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It is difficult to weed, prune and pick beans without damaging neighboring plants. Managing crowded plants becomes a headache.
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Plants focus energy on upward growth rather than fruit production. Close spacing results in reduced yields.
Spacing green beans too closely results in weak, spindly plants and disappointment at harvest time. Follow proper spacing guidelines to avoid these issues.
Recommended Green Bean Spacing
The best spacing for green beans depends on whether you are planting bush or pole varieties.
Bush Green Beans
Bush beans grow as a low, compact bush. They do not require trellising.
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Space rows 18-24 inches apart
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Space plants 4-6 inches apart within each row
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Plant 1 inch deep
This allows enough room for bushes to expand without crowding. Aim for a spacing of at least 4 inches between plants.
Pole Green Beans
Pole beans grow as twisting vines that can reach up to 10 feet tall. They require a trellis or pole structure for support.
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Space rows 30-36 inches apart
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Space plants 6-8 inches apart within each row
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Plant 1 inch deep
Pole beans need more room to account for their vining growth habit. Aim for at least 6 inches between plants and allow ample space between rows.
Tips for Proper Green Bean Spacing
Follow these tips for success when sowing green beans:
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Stagger plantings every 2 weeks for continuous harvests. Beans produce over a few weeks.
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Use grid or square foot planting for efficient use of space. Plan locations carefully.
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Plant taller varieties on northern end of row to avoid shading other plants.
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Use trellises, cages, or poles to support plants and grow vertically.
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Mulch around plants to retain moisture and reduce weeds. Leave space around stems.
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Group bush beans along edges or ends of garden beds for ease of picking.
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Use succession planting to replant beans after early crops are spent.
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Check seed packet for variety-specific spacing needs as some plants may differ.
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Loosen soil at least 8 inches deep pre-planting to facilitate root growth.
Proper spacing relieves competition between plants for sunlight, nutrients and water. This results in healthier, more productive plants.
When to Plant Green Beans
Beans are highly sensitive to cold temperatures and frost. Follow these planting guidelines:
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Direct sow after all danger of frost has passed. Soil temperature should be at least 60°F.
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In most regions, plant beans in late spring or early summer for summer harvests.
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In hot climates, wait until early fall to plant for late fall harvests.
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Plant every 2 weeks until midsummer for continual harvests. Staggered plantings prevent gaps.
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Beans take 50-60 days to mature depending on variety. Consider days to maturity when planning.
Check your local frost dates and plant bean seeds accordingly. Use season extending techniques like cold frames or hoop houses to plant earlier.
Companion Planting for Green Beans
Companion planting is positioning plants together that benefit each other. Beans pair well with these companions:
Vegetables: Beets, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, peas, potatoes, radish, spinach, squash, strawberries
Herbs & Flowers: Borage, chamomile, cosmos, dill, hyssop, marigolds, mint, nasturtium, rosemary, savory, sunflowers
These plants improve the soil, repel pests, attract pollinators and provide shade or support. Avoid planting beans near chives, garlic, leeks or onions which can inhibit bean growth.
Best Pole Bean Varieties
These pole bean varieties are top performers. Provide a trellis or pole support structure for them to climb:
- Kentucky Blue – An heirloom variety, stringless when young
- Purple Pod – Striking deep purple pods, stringless and rich flavor
- Chinese Red Noodle – Distinctive 15-18” long pods, nutty flavor
- Scarlet Runner – Ornamental variety with bright red flowers and large beans
- Blue Lake – Prolific producer, stringless pods with a flavorful snap
Best Bush Bean Varieties
Recommended bush bean varieties include:
- Provider – Heavy yields, grows well in cool weather, stringless
- Contender – Reliable performer, produces 5-6” straight, rounded pods
- Topcrop – Disease resistant, harvests over an extended period
- Maxibel – Compact plants, impressive yields, fine flavor
- Roc D’Or – Yellow wax beans, prolific producer, meaty texture
Varieties of Green Beans
Most of the time, a “green bean” seed is a type of Phaseolus vulgaris, which is also known as the common bean or French bean. Another type of bean is the scarlet runner bean, which is Phaseolus coccineus. When picked young, it can be eaten like a green bean, and it has pretty red flowers as well.
Antigua is a bush bean with 5-inch, uniform, dark green pods and good disease resistance. The plants grow 18 inches upright and mature in 55 days.
Blue Lake Pole is a popular variety from the Pacific Northwest. It grows to be 7 feet tall and has pods that are 6-7 inches long and are often canned. plants mature in 75 days. There is also a bush-type Blue Lake with shorter pods.
It’s a French bean with bright yellow pods that taste best when they are between 4 and 4 and a half inches long. This type of bean grows in bushes that are strong and productive. The plants can get up to 20 inches tall and are resistant to disease. They mature at 60 days.
Carminat is a pole bean with thin, purple pods that are picked when they are 8 to 9 inches long. When cooked, the slightly sweet pods turn green. Plants mature in 62 days.
Celine has lilac-colored 5-inch pods on 20-inch bush-type plants. They mature in 55 days.
Dragon Tongue is a bush-type bean with green pods with flecks of purple. When the pods are young, they can be eaten as snap beans. When they are ripe, they can be picked and shelled. The plants grow 24–30 inches tall and mature in 60 days.
Kentucky Wonder is a popular heirloom pole bean. The plants reach 6-8 feet tall with flat, straight silvery-green pods that grow 6-8 inches long. Maturity in 70 days.
Purple Queen Improved is a bush-type with uniformly straight, purple 6-inch pods that turn green when cooked. The plants grow 20-24 inches and are cold tolerant.
Velour is a bush-type bean that doesn’t get diseases and has beautiful, smooth, round pods that are 5 and a half inches long. Plants mature in 55 days.
The plants that grow Wyatt are uniform and productive, and the pods are a deep emerald green color and very tender. They can grow up to 6 and a half inches long. Matures in 54 days.
Green beans are shallow rooted, so staying on top of watering is imperative. They require 1 inch of water a week, or more during the hottest days of summer. Whenever there is less than an inch of rain in the forecast for a week, apply additional water.
Putting soaker hoses or drip irrigation at the base of plants and setting them to timers will make sure that the green beans always get the water they need. Just don’t water plants from above; getting them wet will make them more likely to get diseases, especially if soil gets on the leaves. Always apply water at the base of plants, under the foliage.
As legumes, green beans work with nitrogen-fixing bacteria to provide their own fertilizer. All they really need from you is to be planted in soil that’s been generously amended with compost.
When, Where and How to Plant Green Beans
The first thing to note when planting green beans is whether they are bush beans or pole beans. Bush beans don’t climb or twine the way pole beans do. Instead, bush beans grow to a certain height, produce their fruit, then stop growing.
If planting bush beans, plan to spread out plantings 10 days about, which will spread out the harvest. Pole beans, on the other hand, will keep growing until they are killed by heat or frost, so you don’t need to space out your planting times.
No matter what kind you want to plant, plant seeds outside after the last frost date in the spring, 1 inch deep in rich, well-worked soil. Green beans grow best in soil with a pH between 6. 0 and 7. 0, which is a range of slightly acidic to precisely neutral. If the soil isn’t where it should be, a test will tell you what changes, if any, need to be made. Green beans also require full sun — a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight daily.
Green beans may also be purchased as seedlings or you can start them yourself indoors. Plant seeds in sterile seed-starting mix that is kept at a temperature between 60° and 85° Fahrenheit three weeks before you move the plants outside. The seeds will germinate in 5 to 10 days. Keep the seedlings under grow lights so they don’t get too tall. Plant them outside when the soil outside reaches 70°.
“Hardening off” seedlings in the days before you plant them outside makes them ready for the sun and wind. On the first day, only leave the seedlings outside for half an hour. Each day after that, let them stay outside for longer for a week to ten days. After this time, the plants will be ready for a full day of direct sunlight.
If growing pole beans, provide a trellis for them to climb. You can buy garden trellises, but it’s easy to make your own with three or four bamboo stakes twisted into a teepee shape. Plant about three seeds or seedlings around each pole, and the trellis will be covered in no time.
For the fastest growth and harvesting of bush beans, plant seedlings or seeds about every 4 to 6 inches in rows of two, 12 inches apart.
When you plant something, water it right away and put 2 to 3 inches of organic mulch over the ground. Mulch will retain moisture between rainfall and watering and will keep the soil warm on cool nights. Composting organic mulch releases nutrients into the soil as it breaks down. It also protects plant leaves from soil pathogens.
For a fall crop, plant more seeds in warm places at least 10 to 12 weeks before the first frost.
What is the Ideal Green Bean Plant Spacing?
FAQ
How close can you plant green beans?
How far do green beans need to be apart?
How far apart should green beans be in rows?
How far apart to plant green beans?
In this section, we will cover how far apart to plant green beans, spacing for bush beans, and spacing for pole beans. The ideal spacing for green beans depends on whether you are planting bush beans or pole beans. For bush beans, you should space them 2-4 inches apart within the row and space the rows 18-24 inches apart.
How much space do green beans need?
This spacing allows the plants to have enough space to spread out and receive adequate sunlight for photosynthesis. However, for vining or pole-type green bean varieties, a wider row spacing of 36 to 48 inches may be necessary to accommodate the plants’ climbing habit.
How do you space a green bean plant?
To achieve optimal spacing for your green bean plants, consider the following techniques: Grid Method: Create a grid pattern with rows and columns to ensure uniform spacing between each plant. Measuring Tools: Use a measuring tape or ruler to accurately space out your plants according to the recommended guidelines.
How much space should a dwarf green bean plant have?
A general guideline for spacing dwarf green bean plants is to allocate around 4 to 6 inches of space between each plant. This spacing allows the plants to receive adequate sunlight and nutrients while minimizing the risk of overcrowding, which can lead to poor air circulation and increased disease susceptibility.