Bush Bean

Bush Bean

Phaseolus vulgaris

Sow outdoors 1 week after your last spring frost. Space plants 4 in (10 cm) apart.

Photo: Schlaghecken Josef, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

When to plant

Timed from your frost dates, so it holds wherever you garden. Give yours and every step below becomes a date.

See the dates for your garden

Enter your average last spring frost and first fall frost. Every timing on this site turns into a calendar date. Not sure of yours? Your local extension service or a search for “last frost date” and your town will tell you; the app finds them from your location.

Last spring frost
First fall frost

Saved in this browser only. Nothing is sent anywhere.

Optimal Direct Sow

From seedRecommended
  1. Sow outdoors1 week after your last spring frost
  2. First harvestabout 55 days after sowing

Optimal Fall Direct Sow

From seed
  1. Sow outdoorsabout 13 weeks before your first fall frost
  2. First harvestabout 55 days after sowing

Growing bush bean

Spacing in the row
4 in (10 cm)
Between rows
18 in (46 cm)
Planting depth
1 inch
Sun
Full Sun
Soil
Well-drained, fertile loam
Germination
6-10 days at 60-85°F
Harvest season
Summer, Fall
Mature height
18-24 inches
Support
Freestanding: stands on its own without a trellis
Life cycle
Annual

Sow seeds 1 inch deep directly into soil after all danger of frost has passed and soil is warm.

Watering. Consistent moisture, especially during flowering and pod development. Avoid overhead watering to prevent disease.

Neighbours

The companion chart →

Grows well beside

Keep apart from

Feeding

Seedlings
Not typically required if soil is fertile.
Growing
Low nitrogen, moderate phosphorus and potassium for pod development. Avoid high nitrogen fertilizers.
Flowering and fruiting
Moderate phosphorus and potassium to support pod set and development.
How often
Rarely: beans fix their own nitrogen; feed once or twice in the season only if the soil is poor.
Note
Legumes fix their own nitrogen, so excessive nitrogen fertilization can reduce yield.

Your bush bean, planned to the day.

Canopy turns these timings into dates from your own frost data, places every plant at its spacing on your garden map, and tracks it all the way to harvest.

Add bush bean to your planting calendar →

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