How to Grow Green Beans: A Complete Organic Growing Guide

My uncle is a commercial bean farmer. He shared with me everything he does to get massive, consistent green beans and snap beans. And I’m passing on that professional growing advice to you so you can grow big and yield big!

While growing green beans from seed doesn’t take a whole lot, it does require some know-how if you want to be successful and get your beans to produce at their maximum potential. This guide on how to grow green beans applies to both pole and bush beans; the main difference is that pole beans require a garden trellis to climb up.

Why I Love Growing Green Beans

It’s no secret that I am passionate about gardening and want to share it with others! That’s why, on any given day, you can find me making videos that teach how to grow zucchini, how to plant corn, how to grow peas, how to grow cucumbers, or today’s topic, how to grow green beans. 

I love growing green beans because they are super productive when grown successfully, producing way more food than you ever thought possible! I used to grow green beans just like everybody else. I thought they were basically a set-and-forget plant that didn’t need good soil or a lot of nutrients. 

That was until a family reunion, when my uncle (the bean farmer) told me I had a lot of potential in my bean plants, but I just wasn’t doing the right things! When I learned and implemented the things he taught me, my bean production went through the roof!

When to Plant Green Beans

I will sometimes start bush beans indoors in the spring, but I wait for warmer soil temperatures to direct sow pole beans in the garden. Pro-Tip: Pole beans are much less forgiving. I don't recommend trying to start them indoors!

Temperature plays a big role in bean production! The best time to plant greens beans is in the temperature window of 45-80­°F. Anything colder than that in the spring and bean seeds will die in the soil. Temperatures above 80° and beans will simply shut down production. 

When to Apply Nutrients

The first step to mastering growing green beans is knowing when to apply nutrients. As a beginning gardener, everyone told me not to fertilize green beans because it would increase growth and decrease yields. 

After all, you don’t need to fertilize because beans will fix their own nitrogen. While it is true that beans fix nitrogen in the soil, there is a proper time to fertilize that will affect the overall pod development (how many beans you will get).

A study by botanists Atwell and Bliss showed that when nitrogen was applied to bean plants at the very beginning of growth, they produced three times as much as those with no fertilization. Whereas, bean plants that had nitrogen applied during pod and seed development saw a decrease in bean production by half!

The study concluded that applying nitrogen does not decrease fruit yields unless it is applied at the wrong time! Farmers around the world have used this information to grow more beans. After planting bean seeds, commercial farmers follow up about a week later, during the emergence phase, with a one-time application of high-nitrogen fertilizer. 

How to Grow Green Beans

1. Temperature - Check your soil temperature to make sure that it is over 45°F before planting.

2. Sunlight - Bean plants need 5 to 7 hours of sunlight daily.

3. Soil - Give them loose, well-draining soil. Make sure the soil is slightly acidic, with a pH around 6.5. Use the Rapitest pH Meter to perform a soil test and adjust the pH based on your soil's needs.   

4. Planting Depth - Plant bean seeds about an inch deep.

5. Plant Spacing - Most people leave far too much space for their beans to grow when they only require anywhere from 4 to 7 inches of space between them. I sow pole bean seeds about every 4 inches and bush beans about every 7 inches.

6. Water - Water well after planting. Green beans like moisture in the soil at all times.

7. Fertilize - When bean seeds start to germinate and emerge from the soil, apply a high-nitrogen fertilizer, like Trifecta+, once.

Pro-Tip: For bush type, succession sow at two week intervals to help guarantee a harvest throughout the season.

Trellising Green Beans

Trellising is vital for the healthy growth of pole beans! These vigorous climbers need support to reach their full potential and improved air circulation to prevent diseases.

Trellises come in all shapes and sizes, but the most straightforward way to keep your beans growing tall is to use a cattle panel trellis. You can also use trellis netting to make a budget-friendly trellis. 

Watering Green Beans

My uncle told me that the more you water green beans, the more beans you will get. Contrary to popular belief, they do not like to grow through a drought; they prefer regular watering. 

It is also a common misconception that you should water them like you would dry beans. Farmers growing drying beans stop watering because they want the plants to dry out towards the end of the season. 

This forces the beans to mature and dry, which is ideal for growing things like pinto beans, black beans, and garbazo beans. But when they stop watering, the bean plants yield about three times less. When you are growing snap beans or green beans, you want the plants to keep producing, so keep watering on a weekly basis (or as they need it). 

Harvesting Beans

Another important tip for maximizing green bean production is to harvest early and harvest often! Continue harvesting beans as they grow to keep your plant healthy and bearing fruit.

I used to leave my green beans on the plant as long as possible so I could get nice, large, juicy pods. I thought this practice would get me the most bang for my buck, when in fact, leaving beans on the plant too long is the best way to stop production altogether.

The important thing is that you harvest diligently as your beans continue to give. Now that you know how to grow green beans, the abundance of produce that can come from even just a few plants may cause you to be slightly overwhelmed by the fruits of your labor.

All the more to go around! Beans are ideal for canning and storing through the winter months. You can give the gift of garden-fresh beans to your friends, family, and maybe sell them at the farmer’s market.