Growing Beans

Broad Beans
Broad beans are easy to grow being hardy so can be sown in autumn as well as in spring. They do not seem to suffer from any real adversaries if certain steps are taken to discourage pests before they become a problem. One advantage is that they will grow in any soil whether light or heavy.

Soil Preparation
Autumn sown seeds should go into well - manured beds from the previous crop. Alternatively two or three weeks before the crop is sown, work into the soil plenty of well -rotted manure and compost. At the time of sowing lightly fork a fish manure with 10 per cent potash contend into the ground at 3 oz. (90g) to the sq. yd. There is a variety of named broad bean seeds to choose from, including some excellent dwarf ones, some with dark coloured pods that look particularly attractive.

Sowing
If it's an early crop that you want, then sow long -pods can be sown in boxes in John Innes seed compost in a greenhouse or cold frame about the middle of December or early January, where they should remain until at least the end of March when they can be planted out in the beds. For most of us the first sowing will be out -doors in April, then a second sowing for late crops about the beginning of May.

After the soil has been raked level and fish manure has been scattered on the surface, a hoe can be used to draw out 3 in. (76mm) deep drills. Space out the seeds to about 8 in. (203mm) apart then make another drill roughly about 8 in. away, making another row keeping the same distance between the seeds. This is known as a double row method. The next set of double rows should be positioned about 2 ½ ft. (75cm) away. The distance between dwarf seeds should be a little less, 6 in. (15cm) apart and 6 in (15cm) between the rows for the doubles with a distance of 2 ft.(60cm) to the next double rows. It is always a good idea to sow a few extra seeds at the end of each row so that should there be any gaps, these may be used to fill in the spaces.

General Care
Keep down weeds between the rows with the aid of a Dutch hoe, a most useful implement for getting between the plants easily. To discourage pests such as black fly, which can become a serious problem, pinch out the top inch of the growing tip of each plant as soon as the first flowers appear. The tip of the plant is tender and succulent and will attract these aphids in there thousands. However there is another advantage to "stopping" the plants as it encourages the
production of earlier beans. This "pinching" method has always worked well for me and as I would never use chemicals to deter insects, I am keen to keep a close eye on the beans to ensure that I spot the first sign of the coming flowers.

Harvesting
Pick the pods whilst the beans inside are still young and tender, though they need to be of a reasonable size to make them a worthwhile crop. The ideal size is about the size of a pound coin, which will be a good reminder of all the money you will be saving when growing your own sweet delicious beans.

French Beans
These are more tender than the Runner beans, which are slightly course in texture. I personally prefer them to runners: Successional sowings will provide French beans throughout much of the year. There are several varieties including dwarf and some of the newer ones have unusually coloured pods.

Soil Preparation
French beans prefer a light soil; therefore if your soil is heavy loosen it up by forking in plenty of organic matter. Dig the ground to a spade's depth during the previous autumn adding well -rotted manure at the rate of a bucket to the sq. yd. Leave the ground rough, especially if it is heavy, frost and cold winds will ensure that it is friable for a light forking in spring. When you are ready to sow add fish manure with 6 per cent potash content at 3 oz. (90g) to the sq. yd.
and unless the soil is chalky, give a surface dressing of carbonate of lime at 5 oz. (150g) to the sq. yd.

Sowing
Sow when the ground has warmed up; this is generally around the end of April but can be as late as mid May in the north. Wait until there is a dry period as damp conditions are the vegetable's greatest enemy. To give straight lines to your rows use a piece of string attached to two pegs, if the string is pulled taut it will give a good guide for the drills. The drills should be 2 in. (50mm) deep with the seeds sown 6 in. (15cm) apart, use the back of a rake to lightly cover the beans completely and firm down. The drills can be either double narrow rows or a wider drill can be dug, about 4 ft. (120cm) wide, the beans placed in this 6 in. (15cm) apart but each bean is placed in a zigzag fashion the first at one side of the drill the next at the other. Sow a few extra beans at the end of each row, when the seedlings are about 2 in. (50mm) high they can be transplanted to
fill up gaps within the rows. To have a continuous cropping of beans sow seeds at two to three weekly intervals until the end of July. I like to try out different varieties in this way, it gives me the chance to compare the cropping statistics, flavour and it adds interest and excitement to the harvest.

General Care
In windy situations it might be necessary to aid the beans to stand upright, all this entails is a few busy twigs which are generally termed pea sticks, pushed into the ground to give support so that the plants do not trail on the ground. Alternatively, stout canes can be placed at each end of the row and two or three rows of string tied between them. This is done on each side of the row, the string will support the beans and stop them falling over. Keep the ground free from weeds; these will take nutrients out of the land, which should otherwise be used to feeding the crop. Put down a few slug traps around the base of plants, beer in a shallow container is popular though an upturned grapefruit skin works quite well too.

Harvesting
Pick the crop when it is young and tender. Do not allow the pods to produce seed, as this will discourage the plant from cropping again. Beans seem to keep their flavour better if they are picked no more than an hour before they are cooked. Nor should they be over -cooked, they should still have retained a little crunchiness to be enjoyed at there best.

There are several excellent varieties, including many new and exciting ones; some string -less and some climbers. Check out what is on offer, growing these beans will more than repay the time and effort you may put into it.

Runner Beans
Runner beans are a popular crop not only for their fruits but the flowers, which come before and are truly attractive and add colour to the garden. However the beans are much coarser and have a stronger flavour than the French beans and therefore not as well liked I think as the French bean.

Soil Preparation
Runner beans are deep rooted so it is advisable to dig the land more than a spade's depth in order to make sure that the manure or compost is available to the roots. The manure should be added at a rate of a bucketful to every sq. yd. A popular method of digging the plot is to double dig to make sure that the fertilizer has reached the necessary depth, and then tread down firmly. After which fish manure with 10 per cent potash content at 4 oz. (120g) to the sq. yd. should be raked in. Carbonate of lime can be applied as a surface dressing at 4 oz. (120g) to the sq. yd. unless the soil is chalky of course.

Sowing
At sowing time, which should not be before the end of May in the north, though in the south it can be a couple of weeks earlier, rake in 2 oz. (60g) superphospate and 1 oz. (30g) sulphate of potash to the sq. yd. Runner bean seeds do not germinate in cold soil, so it is pointless sowing before the end of May in the north. However I have been reliably informed that in places such as Cornwall they can sow as early as April. Other locations might like to try putting coverings such as cloches over the soil during February to help warm up the ground in preparation. It is always good practise to space out the sowing so that there is a continuous supply rather than all the vegetables being ready at once. To make sure of a later picking make a second sowing in mid June.

Generally runner beans are grown to climb up netting or poles and remember they grow to over 6 ft so their climbing frame needs to be sturdy, each plant should produce a crop of approximately 4 lb of beans so it needs to have strength and stability. If the beans are to climb poles, push the poles or stout canes into the ground at least 9 in. (228mm) apart so that when they are drawn together they cross 6 in. from the top. Tie them together where they cross with horticulture twine making a kind of Tepee effect. Sow the seeds at the base of the poles where they can be encouraged to climb up naturally. The seeds should be sown at a depth of 2 in. (50mm) and is preferably done with the aid of a dibber, making a hole to the desired depth and dropping a seed into it. It is also a good move to sow a few seeds at the outer circle so that any gaps can be filled in with the extra plants. Beans grown in this way look splendid growing in a flowerbed. Not only will the flowers give colour to the border, for they are not only extremely colourful they are also beautiful, rivalling many plants that are grown purely for their flowers alone. Climbing as they do they will also give height and structure to the border and later
there will be the added reward of the beans.

Methods of Growing
Runner beans unlike many other crops may be grown on the same plot of land year after year. They can be grown along wires between stout posts and to help them reach the wires vertical wires should be strung at 4 or 5 in. (101mm - 127mm) intervals, these will assist their climb. If netting is the preferred method is to be used then it is simply a matter of stretching the net between two posts until it is reasonably taut, the beans will be then able to scramble up unaided.

General care The beans do require plenty of water and it is a good idea to mulch the roots to help to retain moisture. Popular mulch for this purpose is grass cuttings scattered not more than 1/2 in. (12mm) around the base of the plants when they are in full growth, more may heat up the ground too much and burn the roots or damage the stems. In times of drought the beans will require to be given water administered by a sprinkler system but make sure that the roots are
thoroughly soaked.

Pests
Slugs do like to feed on this crop and can become rather a nuisance especially just as the young shoots are beginning to grow. If you don't like using pellets which although are quite successful in lowering the numbers of the invading slugs, can kill other creatures such as hedgehogs should they eat the poisoned slugs.

Hedgehogs are as we all know the gardeners friend as to destroy them in this way is really unforgivable. Other slug killers such as beer traps are preferable I think,
should the hedgehogs take a sip, then the most they are likely to suffer would be a headache from the hangover.

Harvesting
Pick the beans as soon as they are ready, this is before the seeds inside the pods begin to swell. Always a good thing to remember is that the more beans that are picked the greater the yield will be.

source: mrsgreenfingers.co.uk

Sowing

Seeds should be sown in firm but not hard soil. The beds should be prepared in fine weather when the soil is dry and crumbly. Begin by forking over the bed to a depth of about 3 in (76 mm) breaking up the soil to eliminate solid lumps. Then tread the land over to make it firm. Rake the top inch of surface soil backwards and forwards until every particle is fine and the surface is level.

Bare in mind the eventual size of the vegetable, the space that it will require to grow and develop properly, and then you will have some idea of the necessity to be prudent. To illustrate this point consider for instance that in just 1/4 oz, of parsley, there are about 4,000 seeds; one seed can grow to 1 ft. accross so in fact 1/4 oz of seed could sow a row of plants that would strecth 4,000 ft. long.

Keeping down the weeds is extremely important when growing vegetables; this is more easily achieved when the plants are grown in rows. It allows easy access between the plants when using a hoe, which is probably the best method to dislodge the weeds.

by: mrsgreenfinger.co.uk

Sowing

Pretreatment of seed and soil before sowing
Before sowing, certain seeds first require a treatment prior to the sowing process. This treatment may be seed scarification, stratification, seed soaking or seed cleaning with cold (or medium hot) water.

Seed soaking is generally done by placing seeds in medium hot water for at least 24 to up to 48 hours Seed cleaning is done especially with fruit (as the flesh of the fruit around the seed can quickly become prone to attack from insects or plagues. To clean the seed, usually seed rubbings with cloth/paper is performed, sometimes assisted with a seed washing. Seed washing is generally done by submerging cleansed seeds 20 minutes in 50° Celsius water. This (rather hot than moderatly hot) water kills any organisms that may have survived on the skin of the seed. Especially with easily infected tropical fruit such as lychees and rambutans, seed washings with high temperature water is vital.

In addition to the mentioned seed pretreatments, seed germination is also assisted when disease-free soil is used. Especially when trying to germinate difficult seed (eg certain tropical fruit), prior treatment of the soil (along with the usage of the most suitable soil; eg potting soil, prepared soil or other substrates) is vital. The two most used soil treatments are pasteurisation and sterilisation. Depending on the necessity, pasteurisation is to be preferred as this does not kill all organisms. Sterilisation can be done when trying to grow truly difficult crops. To pasturise the soil, the soil is heated for 15 minutes in an oven of 120° Celsius.

Plants which are usually sown
Among the major field crops, oats, wheat, and rye are sowed, grasses and legumes are seeded, and maize and soybeans are planted. In planting, wider rows (generally 75 cm (30 in) or more) are used, and the intent is to have precise, even spacing between individual seeds in the row; various mechanisms have been devised to count out individual seeds at exact intervals.

Types of sowing
Hand sowing
Hand sowing is the process of casting handfuls of seed over prepared ground: broadcasting. Usually, a drag or harrow is employed to incorporate the seed into the soil. Though labor intensive for any but small areas, this method is still used in some situations. Practice is required to sow evenly and at the desired rate. A hand seeder can be used for sowing, though it is less of a help than it is for the smaller seeds of grasses and legumes.

Hand sowing may be combined with pre-sowing in seed trays. This allows the plants to come to strength indoors during cold periods (eg spring in temperate countries).

In agriculture, most seed is now sown using a seed drill, which offers greater precision; seed is sown evenly and at the desired rate. The drill also places the seed at a measured distance below the soil, so that less seed is required. The standard design uses a fluted feed metering system, which is volumetric in nature; individual seeds are not counted. Rows are typically about 10-30 cm apart, depending on the crop species and growing conditions. Several row opener types are used depending on soil type and local tradition. Grain drills are most often drawn by tractors, but can also be pulled by horses. Pickup trucks are sometimes used, since little draft is required.

A seed rate of about 100 kg of seed per hectare (2 bushels per acre) is typical, though rates vary considerably depending on crop species, soil conditions, and farmer's preference. Excessive rates can cause the crop to lodge, while too thin a rate will result in poor utilisation of the land, competition with weeds and a reduction in the yield.

Open field
Open-field refers to the form of sowing used historically in the agricultural context whereby fields are prepared generically and left open, as the name suggests, before being sown directly with seed. The seed is frequently left uncovered at the surface of the soil before germinating and therefore exposed to the prevailing climate and conditions. This is in contrast to the seedbed method used more commonly in domestic gardening or more specific (modern) agricultural scenarios where the seed is applied beneath the soil surface and monitored and manually tended frequently to ensure more successful growth rates and better yields.

Rake

A rake (Old English raca, cognate with Dutch raak, German Rechen, from a root meaning "to scrape together," "heap up") is an agricultural and horticultural implement consisting of a toothed bar fixed transversely to a handle, and used to collect leaves, hay, grass, etc., and, in gardening, for loosening the soil, light weeding and levelling, and generally for purposes performed in agriculture by the harrow.

Modern hand-rakes usually have steel, plastic, or bamboo teeth or tines, though historically they have been made with wood or iron. The handle is often made of wood or metal. When rakes have longer teeth, they may be arranged in the shape of an old-style folding fan. Large versions mounted on wheels with a bar connecting long curved steel teeth can be used with tractors, descended from a horse-drawn type used prior to the growth of mechanical farming. (wikipedia)

Watering can

A watering can is a portable container, usually with a handle and a spout, used to water plants by hand. It has existed since at least the 17th century and has since been improved.

The capacity of the container can be anywhere from 0.5 litres for use with household plants to 10 litres for general garden use. It can be made out of either metal, ceramic or plastic.

At the end of the spout (a long tube originating at the bottom of the container), a "rose" (a device like a cap with small holes) can be placed to break up the stream of water into droplets to avoid excessive water pressure on the soil or on delicate plants.

John Cleese, in a 1963 Cambridge University Footlights Review ("Cambridge Circus") sketch "Judge Not" described a watering can as: "a large, cylindrical, tin-plated vessel with a perforated pouring piece, much used by the lower classes for the purpose of artificially moistening the surface soil".(wikipedia)

Dibber

A dibber is a pointed hand operated wooden tool for making holes in the ground so that seeds or bulbs can be planted.

The dibber, or dibble, is the simplest garden tool. Its only job is to poke holes in the dirt. A dibber is good for planting little bulbs, small seedlings or seeds. Dibbers come in a variety of designs including: Straight dibber, T-Handled dibber, Trowel Dibber, and L-Shaped dibber.

Straight Dibber
This is the classic dibber. It is anything from a sharpened stick to a more complicated model incorporating a curved handle and pointed steel end.

T-Handled Dibber
This dibber is much like the classic dibber, but with a T-grip that fits in the palm with minimum torque. This allows the user to exert even pressure creating consistent hole depth.

The ideal T-handled dibber is fashioned from the remains of an old fork or spade handle, retaining the D, and with the handle wittled to a point.

Trowel Dibber
This is a unique dibber with the features of a dibber and a trowel. It is usually forged from aluminum or other lightweight material. One end is for dibbing, and the other end is shaped like a trowel.

Trowel

A trowel is a tool with a pointed, scoop-shaped metal blade and a handle. It is used for breaking up earth, digging small holes, especially for planting and weeding, mixing in fertilizer or other additives, and transferring plants to pots.
(wikipedia)

Hoe

Function

• Agitate the surface of the soil around plants, to remove weeds



• Pile soil around the base of plants (hilling);



• Create narrow furrows (drills) and shallow trenches for planting seeds and bulbs;



• Generally dig and move soil (e.g. harvesting potatoes), and chop weeds, roots and crop residues.

Types
Collinear hoe: has a narrow, razor-sharp blade which is used to slice weeds by skimming it just above the surface of the soil with a sweeping motion; it is unsuitable for tasks like soil moving and chopping.

Dego Hoe: The typical farming and gardening hoe with a heavy, broad delta-shaped blade and a flat edge.

Dutch hoe: (scuffle, action, oscillating, swivel, or hula hoe) is a design that is pushed or pulled through the soil to cut weeds just under the surface. Its tool-head is a loop of flat, sharpened strap metal. It is not as efficient as a chopping hoe for pulling or pushing soil.

Onion Hoe: A thin bladed hoe that is recommended when removing weeds near vegetable plants. It is easier to handle than larger, heavy hoes.

Types of gardening

Residential gardening takes place near the home, in a space referred to as the garden. Although a garden typically is located on the land near a residence, it may also be located on a roof, in an atrium, on a balcony, in a windowbox, or on a patio or vivarium.

Gardening also takes place in non-residential green areas, such as parks, public or semi-public gardens (botanical gardens or zoological gardens), amusement and theme parks, along transportation corridors, and around tourist attractions and garden hotels. In these situations, a staff of gardeners or groundskeepers maintains the gardens.

Impact Gardening is a way of using small space to great effect, keeping plants close together, which blocks weeds and requires very little upkeep once started.

Indoor gardening is concerned with the growing of houseplants within a residence or building, in a conservatory, or in a greenhouse. Indoor gardens are sometimes incorporated as part of air conditioning or heating systems.

Water gardening is concerned with growing plants adapted to pools and ponds. Bog gardens are also considered a type of water garden. These all require special conditions and considerations. A simple water garden may consist solely of a tub containing the water and plant(s).

Container gardening is concerned with growing plants in any type of container either indoors or outdoors. Common containers are pots, hanging baskets, and planters. Container gardening is usually used in atriums and on balconies, patios, and roof tops.

Community gardening is a social activity in which an area of land is gardened by a group of people, providing access to fresh produce and plants as well as access to satisfying labor, neighborhood improvement, sense of community and connection to the environment. Community gardens are typically owned in trust by local governments or nonprofits.

source : wikipedia