Blue Lake Bush (Bush Snap Bean)

How to Grow: Beans grow well in any well-drained garden soil, but do best in soils with pH above 6.0. After the last frost, plant seeds 1 in. deep and 2 in. apart in rows 12 to 18 in. apart, thinning to 4 in. apart. Peppering seeds with inoculants before sowing helps ensure good growth. Beans may benefit from a source of soluble nitrogen (if your soil is low in nitrogen) during the first 3 weeks until nitrogen-fixing nodules develop, but do not apply nitrogen after this period. Dark-seeded beans are more resistant to rotting in cool soil than light-seeded beans. Beans need a minimum soil temperature of 65 degrees F to germinate well, otherwise seeds may rot.

Succession: Plant every 3 weeks for a steady supply. Hot weather: in deep summer heat, snap bean flowers may not set pods; southern peas and asparagus beans are more reliable producers at these times.

Harvest: Pick when pods are small, before seeds fill the pods, for snap beans, pick before seeds fill the pods.. Keep well picked so that plants continue to bear. Many beans are multi-purpose and can be harvested in snap, shelly, and dry stages.

Storage: Keep dry – wet beans will mold in storage.

Seed Savers: Isolate bean varieties a minimum of 25’ for home use. For pure seed an isolation distance of 100-150’ is required. Isolate (non-lima) bean varieties by a minimum of 10 feet from other beans of the same species. For pure seed, isolate by at least 30 ft.

Packet: 1 oz (28 g) unless otherwise indicated (about 50-105 seeds depending on variety) sows 10-18’.