Beans are usually very easy to grow! If you have
waited the number of days listed for maturity on the front of the packet,
and planted them in a sunny spot, then the most likely reason for a
lack of plentiful beans is soil that is too rich. Beans need good drainage
and average garden soil. Like peas, they ‘fix’ their own
nitrogen from the air and don’t need a boost of fertilizer like
other vegetable crops. If you have added fertilizer to the soil, it
may cause them to put on a lot of green growth, but not flower and produce
beans. The best advice is to try them in another spot with less rich
soil. One thing you might try for greater bean harvests is to inoculate
them with Rhizobium bacteria. This natural bacteria is sold as a “bean
inoculant” in garden centers, and assists the beans with fixing
nitrogen. This powdery coating is most effective in areas with poor
soils where beans have never grown. Finally, be sure to rotate where
you plant your beans every three years, to avoid build-up of diseases
in the soil.
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2006 Botanical Interests, Inc. www.botanicalinterests.com
