Grow Beans and Peas

Beans and peas are relatively easy to grow, making them a good choice for a first-time gardener or a new garden plot. These legumes also have a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, meaning they actually improve the nutrition of the soil they’re in. Follow these instructions to grow beans or peas -- and then eat them off the vine to discover what they’re supposed to taste like!

Steps

Planning for Beans

  1. Choose a good location. Beans typically want (unfiltered) full sun, which is defined as at least 6 hours of sunlight per day.[1] They do very well in warmer climates such as that of the American South. Some bean varieties, such as those that were traditionally grown using in cornfields using the three-sisters method (i.e. beanstalks twining around cornstalks with squash at the base), are more tolerant of shade and will still produce in dappled sunlight or with under 6 hours a day.
    • Make a sun chart to determine which parts of your yard or patio will be best for beans.
  2. Choose a bean variety that will suit your taste and location. Each will have different light, space, planting, and harvesting requirements, not to mention a different flavor. Some beans (like snap beans) are grown to be eaten raw – pod and all – while others are meant to be shelled and dried for later use in cooking. There are two general categories of bean:
    • Pole beans grow tall and must be trellised.[2] Not only are they beautiful to look at, but they also make the most of vertical space.
    • Bush beans are compact and don’t need supports.[2] Since they don’t cast long shadows, they can more easily be planted in and around other plants.

Planning for Peas

  1. Choose the best place. Although peas typically want full sun, which is defined as at least 6 hours of sunlight per day, they also prefer cooler climates. If you live in a hot area, plant your peas in an area that either gets dappled sunlight throughout the day or is shaded during the hottest hours. (A spot partially shaded by a tree or hedge is ideal because the growing leaves will provide more shade as the season gets hotter.)
    • Make a sun chart to determine which parts of your yard or patio will be suitable for growing peas.
  2. Choose a pea variety that will suit your taste and location. Each will have different light, space, planting, and harvesting requirements, not to mention a different flavor. Moreover, some grow tall and must be grown up a support system (which can be a great way to utilize vertical space), while others are more compact (and won’t cast a long shadow across other areas of the garden). There are three general categories of peas:
    • English (a.k.a. garden) peas are grown only for their seeds and must be shelled after being harvested. There are both high- and low-growing varieties.[2]
    • Snow (a.k.a. sugar) peas are grown for both their sweet, flat pods and their seeds. No shelling is necessary, as they are completely edible, but they taste the best when picked young. There are both high- and low-growing varieties.[2]
    • Sugar snap peas are also grown for both their seeds and pods but are thicker than snow peas and more closely resemble snap beans. They only come in high-climbing varieties.[2]

Planting Beans and Peas

  1. Decide on the number of plants you want. This will be determined by the spacing requirements of the variety you’ve chosen. If you plan to plant rows, be sure to leave enough space between them for easy access – particularly if you’ve chosen a tall variety.
  2. Get some seeds. These are the beans or peas themselves, of course, which means that, unlike with many other seed types, you'll need relatively fresh ones. Fresh beans or peas from a farmers' market will work fine; fresh ones from the supermarket might work, but the exact variety probably won’t be listed and many will fail to sprout. Alternatively, you can buy dried seeds as long as they aren’t very old. (Check the date on the package.) Dried beans from the supermarket may work, but you'd do best to go organic (to make sure they haven't been treated not to sprout). Frozen or canned beans and peas are useless.
    • For dried beans, test them first. Soak some in water then put them into a damp paper towel and fold it over. Keep the towel just damp (splash it with water once a day or so), and in two or three days open it up and look. If there are little sprouts poking out of the split beans, it’s a good sign that they’re healthy and you should go ahead and plant them. (In fact, plant those sprouted ones first!) If they look exactly the same, give them another couple days and if that doesn't work find another source of beans; and if the beans have gotten moldy you can try again to sprout them using less water, but you'll probably need another source of beans.
  3. Prepare the soil. Either put dirt in a suitably-sized container (unfertilized potting soil from any garden store will work fine) or dig up the ground where you want to plant them. You need about 6 inches (15 cm) of loose, rich soil. If your ground is mostly clay or sand, you'll probably have better luck in a pot. (Or buy some compost and topsoil, mix it with the dirt you dug up – about 50/50 – and put it back so it forms a slight mound.)
    • Go easy on fertilization. Remember that peas and beans can obtain their own nitrogen. If you provide too much nitrogen in the form of fertilizer, the vines will get big but there will be fewer beans and peas to harvest.
  4. Consider staggering your planting. If you plan to grow just a few plants, this may not be an issue; if you plant fifteen of them, however, you may be overwhelmed when the time comes to harvest everything. Moreover, some peas/beans are “determinate,” which means they will flower and make peas all at once. You will get one large harvest, then the plants will die. Others are “indeterminate” and will set flowers and make pods for as long as they grow (several weeks to several months). You won't get as many pods at one time -- usually not more than 5-6 ripe pods per plant per couple of days -- but you'll get them for much longer.
    • Assuming you are growing indeterminate varieties, two plants will generally make enough for one person (for a side dish) every couple of days. Use this to calculate how often you will want to eat the peas/beans and how many people you'll be feeding to decide how many plants to grow.
    • For determinate varieties, you can either make a good meal or two out of them or preserve them by drying, canning, pickling, etc.
  5. Plant the seeds. Push your finger down into the soil you're planting to about to the first joint (1-1.5", 2.5-5cm) and then put the seed into that hole. Pat soil down over it (to ensure soil contact, which is critical for germination) and water gently (to avoid re-exposure). Ex.: pour water on your hand and sprinkle it over where each seed was planted.
    • Although it depends on the variety, beans are typically planted about one or two weeks before the expected date of the last killing frost in the spring. Look for soil temperature that's reliably over 60°F (16°C) as a cue. Keep in mind that varieties with colored seeds are more likely to germinate in cool soils than varieties with white seeds.
    • Peas are commonly planted about six to eight weeks before the last killing frost (soil temperature of 50°F/10°C or higher). Some peas (snow peas and sugar snaps) like cool temperatures and are more of a spring and fall plant in most climates. Again, your particular bean variety might have different requirements.
      • In areas like the San Francisco Bay Area, peas grow well planted in February and produce until late May or early June, when they die off. Plant them again in September/October (while it's still warm) and they'll produce through December or January.
    • If you buy actual seeds in a packet meant for planting, it will say to initially plant more than you need and then thin them down to a more manageable number. You can do that, but remember that if you don't thin them enough (or do it soon enough), the seedlings will end up competing for nutrients, becoming stunted or even dying.
    • You can also plant the seeds more or less where they are supposed to end up. Some won't germinate, so plant a few in each area to make sure you have enough. For example, if your seeds should be spaced about 6" (15 cm) apart, plant three or so every 6”. Don’t plant them too close together; if they all germinate, it will be difficult to pull up the extras without hurting the one you want to save.
    • If planting a large area with peas or beans, doing so by hand can be back breaking work. Consider using a wheel planter (as shown) or a planter that attaches to the back of a tractor.
    • Depending on the variety and whether you planted fresh, dried, or pre-sprouted seeds, expect the first sprouts to show above the surface between around 2 to 10 days.
  6. Provide a support. Most peas and beans are twining plants. You will therefore need something for them to twine on: a fence, a net strung between two poles, individual poles for each plant, or a bean tepee (made of 3-4 bamboo poles tied together at the top). It's best to have a support ready to "plant" while you plant the seeds. The supports can also help mark your seed locations.
    • If you want to grow your peas or beans along a chain-link fence -- particularly one bordering your neighbor’s property -- be sure you don’t mind sacrificing whatever ends up on the opposite side. If the fence is between you and the sun, it’s probably best not to use it as a support; plants grow toward sunlight and may only produce a handful of goodies on your side.
  7. Set up a watering schedule. Water them at least daily -- and more often if it's dry -- but remember that too much water is as harmful as too little. To test the soil, push your finger into the ground. If it gets it wet/muddy, you’re using too much water; it should be damp to dry.
    • Water with a “rain” spray on a hose or a watering can. Don't run the hose directly onto the seeds; they'll either wash away or drown.
  8. As soon as the sprouts reach 1 to 2 inches tall, attach them to their twining surface (pole, net, whatever). If you let them fall over, a) they may rot on the surface and b) they may twine with their neighbors and become difficult to separate without breaking. Keep checking them and encouraging them to grow up the twining surface every day when you water them. They grow fast!
    • At this point they can take more direct watering, but still, don't run the hose right on them.
  9. Harvest pea shoots if desired. Tender pea shoots are delicious, raw or cooked. When the peas are 4-6" or 10-15cm tall, you can cut off the top two "levels" of leaves and bring them to the kitchen. Don't cut more than this, though; the stem gets fibrous as it grows and you want to cut the top where it is still tender. The pea plants will grow back, and you can get several harvests out of them for greens.
  10. Watch them grow. Flowers will begin to show a couple weeks after the sprouts come up. (Beans and peas flower in lots of different colors, including white, pink and purple, so you could even sneak some into a flower garden for show.) When the flowers dry up, a pea/bean pod will begin to grow from the same place.
  11. Harvest the pods. If your variety is edible-podded, pick and eat them when they plump up. If it isn’t edible-podded, wait until the pods are round and you can see the little bumps from the peas/beans inside. Pick them, open the pods and use the peas/beans inside.
    • Some, like snow peas, taste best when picked a little young.
    • Pick them the same day you intend to use them -- and as soon before eating as possible. The flavor begins to fade as soon as you pick them.
    • Always pick pods before they get too old. One taste of a too-big pod will tell you why: while they're not harmful to eat, they're not very tasty, either. The texture is coarse and pithy and they lose their sweetness.
  12. Let a few pods mature completely near the end of the growing season. Assuming you liked the variety, you can use the seeds to plant again next year. (See tips.)

Tips

  • If you have too many ripe pods, wait until some get really, really ripe (i.e. the stem is starting to dry, or the pod splits), pick and open them, then put the seeds in a cool, dry spot to let them dry. Plant those seeds next year!
  • One should note that farmers water pea plants 70ml per plant every two days.
  • A good planning option is to find a nursery or seed shop near you and ask a knowledgeable person for recommendations. Local nurseries often know things about the local climate and soil that aren't in general gardening books, and they may be able to help recommend things like planting times and varieties suited to your area.

Warnings

  • If you see bugs on the peas -- small green or brown ones (aphids), tiny white flies (whitefly), or something that looks like white fuzz on the underside of the leaves (another kind of whitefly) -- at minimum, wash them off with water and dish soap. If it's all over a branch, cut off the branch and throw it away, then wash the branches nearby; if it's all over the plant, pull the plant up and throw it away. Different plants have different vulnerabilities, so look in gardening books for other diseases and pests that affect peas and beans.
  • Most peas or beans are subject to powdery mildew and other pests. If you see a white film or dust on a few leaves, cut off the affected branch, even if it has peas or flowers on it, and throw it away. Don't compost it or leave it near any plants. It is possible to catch an infestation early and deal with it, but if most of a plant is infected pull it up and throw the whole thing away - then watch the plants near it very carefully. If you get a bad infestation, don't plant peas or tomatoes in that bed/dirt next year; they'll be infected from the start. If you don't deal with it, the leaves and stems start drying up and turning brown (very like they do when the plant dies of heat or old age), making the whole plant die quite quickly (and possibly spreading the mildew to other nearby plants!).
    • At the early signs, dilute 9 parts water to 1 part powdered milk and spray underside and topside of plants once to twice a week. This will neutralize it in the early stages and will prevent further infestation of it. A mild solution of apple cider vinegar or mild solution of baking soda and water can be alternated. Chances are you can hold back the infestation before it gets to its late stages.
  • Don’t grow the same crop in the same place for more than a year or two; rotate crops around your garden to prevent soil-borne diseases from building up over time.[2]

Things You'll Need

  • Soil (in the ground or in a pot)
  • Pea/bean seeds
  • Something for them to twine on like poles, nets, or a fence
  • A gentle waterer such as a “rain” type spray head for watering can or hose

Related Articles

You must water all the beans everyday

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://growingbeans.org/planting-and-culture
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1617.html
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