| Gardening Guide-Tips on Growing Backyard Green | | | | soil in the spring. Most important! Plant your beans |
| Beans | | | | in a spot that gets at least 6-8 hours of direct |
| One of my greatest joys in life is walking into the | | | | sun each day. Beans love the sun. |
| garden and picking a bucketful of beautiful, fresh | | | | As the beans send out long shoots, train them to |
| green beans. Then taking them directly to a pot | | | | climb the poles, if they do not do it own their own |
| of boiling water in the kitchen. Nothing like it. | | | | (generally, they will). Keep them watered but not |
| Three days later, I can do it again. And, so can | | | | soaked. Fertilize once when the plants start |
| you with these tips. | | | | climbing the poles. |
| First, you need to decide what to plant. The two | | | | There are many varieties that thrive in practically |
| main choices are bush beans or pole beans. I | | | | any summer climate, as long as you have about |
| prefer pole beans because they are easier to | | | | six weeks of over 70 degree days. I like the |
| pick, have better flavor and have less problems | | | | "bluelake" for it's ease of growth, good flavor and |
| from pests and disease. | | | | high yield. |
| Pole beans, of course, require something to climb | | | | Here's a recipe I like for cooking green beans. Fill a |
| on and, therefore, tend to take up space. | | | | large pot with water and bring to a boil. Snap the |
| But, if you think limited space prevents you from | | | | beans (do not cook whole) and add them to the |
| having pole beans, guess again. You can have | | | | pot. Add one slice of bacon, salt and pepper to |
| enough beans for a family of four in a six square | | | | taste and one whole, medium size onion. |
| foot area. | | | | Now here's the secret. Cook the beans until the |
| A method I use is to take three six foot long | | | | water is almost gone; down to about 2 inches. Be |
| wooden poles (don't use metal) and place them in | | | | VERY careful that the beans do NOT get |
| a tripod arrangement, tying them together at the | | | | completely dry. They will burn very fast and be |
| top. It only takes about a three foot area, so you | | | | ruined. When ready, the beans should be tender |
| can have two of them in a six foot plot. | | | | and have a dark green color. They should NOT be |
| Plant the beans indoors 4-6 weeks before the last | | | | bright green like canned beans (ugggh!). This should |
| frost, in peat pots. Do not use pots that require | | | | take from one to one and a half hours, depending |
| you to remove the plant from the pot to | | | | on the number of beans and size of the pot. |
| transplant (plastic). The peat pots can be planted | | | | So, give it a try this year. Then when you smell |
| directly in the garden without disturbing the roots. | | | | those fresh beans that you grew, cooking in the |
| Prepare the soil by adding compost (I prefer | | | | kitchen, you, too, will experience one of the great |
| well-aged manure) as soon as you can work the | | | | joys of life. |