Because green beans have a short growing season, fertilizing them is easy. However, if you don’t do it, it can have a big effect on your yields. For good yields and a lot of first-grade pods, the soil must be properly prepared and have the right amount of well-balanced nutrients. The nutrients must be readily available for uptake by the plant roots. Where the fertilizer is placed in the soil, how wet the soil is, the pH level, and many other things affect how easily plant roots can use it.
A general fertilizer program can only be used as a guide because it depends on how fertile the soil is. For proper recommendations, it will be necessary to have the soil analysed by a soil laboratory. Various commercial laboratories can help with scientific analysis of soil samples.
As a prolific vegetable that’s easy to grow, green beans are a staple for many home gardeners. But like all plants, beans need proper nutrition to reach their full potential. Fertilizing green beans correctly gives them the boost they need for bountiful harvests.
In this article, we’ll explore the best fertilizing practices for green beans, including timing, types of fertilizers to use, and how much. Follow these tips and your beans will be happy, healthy and bursting with flavor all season long!
Green Beans Have Modest Fertilizer Needs
The good news about fertilizing green beans is they aren’t too demanding. Being legumes, green beans can get most of the nitrogen they require from the air. The bacteria living on their roots convert atmospheric nitrogen into a usable form the plant can absorb.
That said, green beans still benefit from supplemental feeding, especially of phosphorus and potassium. Modest amounts of fertilizer give beans the resources they need for vigorous growth.
Over-fertilizing green beans can have the opposite effect causing excess foliage at the expense of bean production. It’s better to under-feed beans than overdo it.
Test Your Soil First
Before determining fertilizer needs, it’s important to test your soil’s pH and nutrient levels. Home test kits are inexpensive and provide key data like:
- pH
- Nitrogen
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
- Micronutrients
This information reveals precisely which soil amendments your garden requires for optimal green bean growth.
Ideally, beans thrive best in slightly acidic soil with a pH around 6.5. Levels much below or above this can limit nutrient availability and lead to deficiencies.
Amend the Soil Pre-Planting
Green beans are heavy feeders when it comes to phosphorus. They need adequate levels in the soil right from the start.
That’s why it’s best to amend the soil with fertilizer before planting. Mixing in amendments gives them time to fully integrate and balance nutrient levels.
Spread an all-purpose fertilizer over the planting area and till it into the top 6 inches of soil. Or dig individual fertilizer pockets for each bean seed you’ll drop.
Choose a Balanced Fertilizer Blend
Look for a blended fertilizer in the ratio of 5-10-15 or 5-10-10. The middle number refers to phosphorus content.
Another option is to use bone meal, which provides an easy phosphorus boost. Bone meal also gradually releases nutrients for continuous feeding.
Organic fertilizers like compost, worm castings, manure or alfalfa meal are great choices for green beans too. They improve soil structure while providing nutrients.
Follow Recommended Application Rates
How much fertilizer you apply depends on the existing soil nutrient levels. Without a soil test, follow package recommendations for veggies:
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All-purpose blended fertilizer: Apply at 5 lbs per 100 sq ft
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Bone meal: Apply at 2.5 lbs per 100 sq ft
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Compost/manures: Apply 2-3 inches over planting area, then till in
These amounts give beans a nutritional boost without going overboard. Remember, too much fertilizer can inhibit fruiting with leafy overgrowth.
Side Dress Beans Through the Season
Your pre-planting fertilizing sets the stage for plant health. But beans are heavy feeders and need supplemental nutrients over their growing season.
Side dressing is applying additional fertilizer alongside the plants when they begin flowering and setting beans. This extra feeding fuels the fruiting stage.
Side dress beans with a nitrogen fertilizer like ammonium nitrate, calcium nitrate or organic meals. Follow package rates for application – usually 1 pound per 100 feet of row.
Scatter fertilizer 6 inches away from plant stems and irrigate it into the soil. Beans can show nutrient deficiency symptoms if you don’t water it in.
Watch Plants for Deficiency Signs
Keep an eye out for visual cues that your beans need more nutrients. Deficiencies show up as:
- Stunted plants
- Yellowing leaves
- Smaller bean yields
Catching problems early allows you to correct them quickly with targeted fertilizer.
Avoid Fertilizing Too Late in the Season
Stop fertilizing beans 2-3 weeks before your expected final harvest. Late fertilizing can spur new leaf growth rather than fruit production.
It’s also wise to stop fertilizing any varieties you plan to harvest fresh and eat right away. Excess fertilizer leads to a bitter, unpleasant taste.
By following sound fertilizing practices, your green beans will have the nutritional formula they need. This ensures maximum yields of juicy, crisp and flavor-packed beans all season long. Happy gardening!
Application of fertilizer before planting
The average nutrient uptake norms for green beans are as follows:
- Nitrogen (N): 8.8 kg/ton total yield.
- Phosphorus (P): 0.9 kg/ton total yield
- Potassium (K): 5.8 kg/ton total yield
An average recommendation that is safe to use is:
- 100 kg/ha nitrogen as a base dressing
- 50 kg/ha 2-3 weeks thereafter as top dressing
- 11 kg/ha phosphorus
- 70 kg/ha/ha potassium
The first application two weeks before planting can be 1000kg of 2:3:2(22). This needs to be tilled in, and it has enough N, P, and K for the first month of growth. Keep in mind that adding more P and K to soil that already has enough will not help the plant and will waste it. That is why it is so important to know the nutrient status of your soil. Soil analysis are cheap and it is better to calculate fertilizer recommendations scientifically than thumb suck. Don’t overfertilize with nitrogen as it leaches out into the ground water cause pollution.
It’s important to spread the fertilizer out evenly because P doesn’t move with water from the ground or from pumps. Nitrogen is the most mobile element of the three but it is also consumed by bacteria. The top 300 mm of soil needs to be mixed with both P and K, which are not useful to plants there. Leaving nitrogen fertilizer on the soil surface will cause it to evaporate as N2 and pollute the air.
On acid soils (pH < 5. 5), the right kind of lime should be used ploughed in more than 4 weeks before planting time. If a magnesium (Mg) deficiency is suspected, dolomitic lime is used instead of agricultural or calcitic lime. The amount applied depends on the degree of acidity and type of soil. Applications vary between 1-2 ton/ha. The exact amount needed cannot be determined without a proper soil analysis.
A Farmer’s Guide to Mastering Growing Green Beans
FAQ
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