How to Remove Flowers on Green Beans

Deadheading is the term for removing spent flowers from plants.

Green beans grow on a variety of plant types, from bushes to pole beans that need trellis support. All green bean plants produce flowers as long as the environment allows the plant to grow. The flowers eventually turn into bean pods, which gardeners can pick for consumption. Removing the flowers from a green bean plant will prevent it from producing more bean pods, ending your growing season.

Things You'll Need

• Small scissors

Instructions

1. Wait for the flowers to become slightly spent before removing then. They will begin to wilt at this point, and may begin to change color.

2. Grasp the flower by its base, near the stem. Twist the flower off at the stem. Spent flowers will twist off more easily. If you do not want to wait for the flowers to become weaker, cut them off at the stem with small scissors.

3. Let any existing bean pods mature completely on the plant. Green bean plants will produce more flowers if you remove bean pods that are not totally mature. Leaving the beans on the plant will slow flower production.

References

• University of Illinois: Beans
• Daily Hampshire Gazette: Get Growing, Deadhead Days; Cheryl B. Wilson; August 2010