How to Plant Blue Lake Bush Green Beans
Bush beans are among several types of green beans that grow on upright, bushy plants. Unlike pole beans, bush beans do not require the support of a trellis or other structure. "Blue Lake" is the name of a variety of bush bean that is straight and long. It is bred to be resistant to bean mosaic, a disease that results in the loss of the plants as well as the pods. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Check to make sure that the last frost date for your area has passed. Blue Lake bush beans are a warm-weather crop. Don't plant them until the soil is warm and certain to stay that way. A soil temperature of at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit is recommended.
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Till the soil thoroughly to a depth of at least 6 inches. Be sure all growing weeds are completely destroyed. Use a rototiller or a shovel and hoe to work the soil.
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Plant seeds an inch deep if the soil is heavy. Plant seeds 1.5 inches deep in lighter, sandy soil. Allow four inches between the individual plants in each row. Space rows 18 to 24 inches apart.
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Water the soil at the base of the plant thoroughly. A good soaking helps the seeds to open completely and is helpful to the growing process once the seeds are in the soil.
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Repeat the planting process every two weeks for the first part of the growing season. This ensures that you will have a steady supply of Blue Lake bush beans, as the old beans fade and the new beans mature.
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Remove weeds on a regular basis. You must be careful not to injure the bean plants when you weed, but because of their shallow root system bush beans cannot tolerate competition from weeds and grasses.
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Harvest beans as they become ripe. Do not allow the pods to get too large or they will not be as good to eat. Young beans may be used raw in salads, and older beans may be cooked alone or in soups, stews and other dishes.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not pre-soak bean seeds. They will crack from the moisture and bacteria can enter and destroy the seed.
Blue Lake bush beans do best in soil with a pH of 5.8 to 6.3.
In some cases, pole beans may be preferable to bush beans, due to differing space requirements.
Blue Lake beans come in both bush and pole varieties, so if you want to grow these beans but have an area better suited to beans that climb a trellis or fence, try the pole-growing variety.
Fertilizer is not usually necessary, but it may be worked into the soil before planting if the soil is poor.
References
- University of Illinois Extension: Watch Your Garden Grow: Beans
- Mother Earth News: Knowing When to Plant: Find Your Average Last Spring Frost Date; Cheryl Long; April 11, 2008
- Oregon State University Extension: Plant snap beans when soil warms to sixty degrees; Carol Savonen
- Ohio State University Extension: Growing Peas and Snap Beans in the Home Garden; Marianne Riofrio
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
