It’s Not Too Late for Beans and Tomatoes!

It’s Not Too Late for Beans and Tomatoes! There are 1 and 2 gallon tomatoes in our stores, some are even carrying fruit! And there is still time to plant the very prolific Bean. Beans can produce into the fall holidays if the weather is mild. Beans are available as annual bush or pole types. Don’t forget the perennial and beautiful Scarlet Runner Bean, which also attracts hummingbirds and has edible flowers.

Green Beans are highly nutritious (rich in iron and potassium), easy to grow and enrich the soil they grow in. They can actually add Nitrogen to the soil. Plant in rich, loamy soil (add Agricultural Lime if your soil is acid) in a sunny spot. They don’t need additional Nitrogen.

Beans are easily grown from seed if you want to try something adventurous. Bush beans can grow in a smaller space (basically 10 inches square), if you have a smaller garden. Since they produce a lot in a short amount of time these beans are great for canning. Last year ours were still producing for the holiday dinner. We carry Romano, Purple Queen and Haricot Vert “Mignonette” in bush form, and Emerite (another haricot vert –type slender filet bean) and the classic American Blue Lake in pole form.

For pole beans you can make a simple teepee with stakes tied together with twine, an old ladder or use extra tomato cages. Pinch back out the tips when they reach the top. You can also make a vertical wall using twine and poles. If you orient the wall north and south, the space on the east side can be planted with cool season lettuces or greens that will be protected by the tall beans.