skip to main content

Texas Gardening

Green Beans 101...

15 years ago

Ok I need as much info on Green beans and your growing tips as possible! I've had 0 luck with them and now I turn to you good people of Texas to teach me how...please I'm beggin' you! When to start them, what kind to plant that can take the Texas heat etc...I can grow a good many things but these darn Green beans are getting the best of me and I just can't seem to do it!

Help!

Thanks,

Dena (aka the lazy gardener) *lol*

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

popcornhill
15 years ago
Hello Dena...last year I grew contender green beans and they were pretty good. But this year I am going to try Blue Lake Bush Green Beans. I plan to plant about Aug 1st and another row about Aug 15th. This will be the fall garden. For the Summer garden you should plant in March. Some like the Fall and some like the Summer gardens better. I do both. Also you might find some good information on the Beans, Peas & Other Legumes forum. There are several good forums here. Good luck...DT
roxy_girl
Original Author
15 years ago
Yep a fella at church and I where talking green beans and he suggested the Contender as well...putting this on the top of my list for next spring...I have some Greensleeves/Landreth's/Maxibel and Triumph de Farcy, think I'll start them Aug.1 and 15th and see if a fall crop will do better for me. Thanks DT for the forum info as well!
Related Discussions
Adzuki Beans eaten as Green Beans???
Q
Comments (1)
I grow several varieties of adzuki, but only for dry seed... never tried them as snaps.The pods are really tiny (3-4" long & only 1/4" wide when mature) and I grow plenty of other beans that are better suited to use as snaps. As I recall, I tried munching on a raw pod once out of curiosity (as I do with most beans & peas) and didn't like it. The pods of adzuki develop fiber very quickly, so you would need to pick them when very small for use as green beans... if they are edible & palatable in that stage. Even then, the tiny size & small yield would, IMO, not be worth the effort... it would take a lot of picking to get a mouthful. There are many beans that would give a much better yield in the same space.
...See More
Mung Beans 101
Q
Comments (4)
The seeds are a dark red color, like the color of a kidney bean. Then they are not mung beans. They are most likely adzuki beans (Vigna agularis). There is a slight possibility that they could also be rice beans (Vigna umbellata), if the seed is from a tropical source. The two seeds look very similar; rice beans have a longer hilum scar. Rice beans will not grow successfully in our Northern latitudes, since they are daylength sensitive, and will not bloom until mid-September. The adzuki beans that I have grown were more of a true bush habit than the mung beans, with little sprawling. They have attractive flowers, usually bright yellow. You can get a good yield from them; at 6" spacing between plants, the dry seed averaged over one ounce per plant. Very easy to shell, too... the dry pods shatter easily. Like most Vignas, adzuki germinate quickly in warm soil - in as little as 3 days. In cooler soils, it can take longer. I generally germinate them in pots indoors, then put them outside into full sunlight immediately. The seedlings become leggy very quickly under artificial lights.
...See More
Yellow Beans 101
Q
Comments (1)
Wax beans have yellow waxy looking pods almost from git go. Which is probably why they are called wax beans. Other wise they are about the same a green podded beans in growth and culture. Flavor is quite different tho. and Yes all of them are yellow podded.
...See More
Italian Flat Green Beans/Cranberry Beans?
Q
Comments (4)
I snap them into the size I want and water blanch them for about 3 minutes, cool in ice water for about the same time, dry, and put them into freezer bags. Sometimes I use my vacuum sealer, but usually not with beans... it just depends on how soon I think I'll be using them. You may want to cross-post this question into the Harvest forum. The regulars who post there are much more experienced than I with storing veggies. Just post the same question, and include a few lines about freezing/canning or whatever else. :-)
...See More
suze9
15 years ago
I tend to have better success with bush beans than I do with pole beans -- they seem to do better in our heat. Plus, you don't have to worry about supporting them. My favorite is Dragon Tongue (striped cream/purple). Others I like include Brittle Wax (yellow), Triomphe de Farcy and Tavera (both green filet types).

Recommended planting dates for beans are mid-March thru end of April for spring/summer crop and mid-Aug thru mid-Sept for the general area I live in (Travis County). Good luck with your fall crop. :-)
roxy_girl
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks suze I sure hope my fall crop is better than my non-spring/summer crop was.

Does anyone know or use that stuff you dust your beans with first to fix the nitrogen in the soil and does it work or is it a bunch of bull?
TxMarti
15 years ago
I tried Blue Lake bush this spring & they haven't done well at all.
carrie751
15 years ago
I've never been disappointed with Contenders......
shebear
15 years ago
This year has been the pits for beans. I couldn't get the rust under control. Personally I think the high winds brought some nasty stuff this spring and we're stuck with it until the rains come and clear it out.

Fall should be better. I hope!
roxy_girl
Original Author
15 years ago
Well I lucked out and found 3 packages of Contender beans at my local Ace hardware store so I snatched them up and come tomorrow I'm going to plant my first batch for fall...*keeps fingers crossed*

shebear, I agree that the wind blew something bad in, I've had the worst allergies this spring/summer that I've had in I don't know when!

Related Stories

SUMMER FRUITS AND VEGETABLES Summer Crops: How to Grow Beans

By Marianne Lipanovich

Grow your own beans for amazing variety and healthy, convenient produce all summer

LIFE Slow Living 101: Tips for Turning Off the Chaos

By Laura Gaskill

It may feel as though you're too busy to slow down and enjoy life. But even little changes can have a big effect

DECORATING GUIDES Bean There, Done That: Coffee Table Alternatives

By Grace Chamia

Get creative with these ideas for salvaged and DIY pieces that will get people talking

DECORATING GUIDES Geology 101: Malachite Madness

By Bryan Anthony

This semiprecious stone has been turning heads since ancient times. See how to incorporate its emerald green swirls into your decor

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING Citrus 101: Start Your Own Backyard Orchard

By Vanessa Brunner

This Earth Day Weekend, Add Some Green, Style and Deliciousness to Your Landscape

HEALTHY HOME Nontoxic Paint 101

If 'VOC' sounds like gobbledygook and you have no clue what causes that funny smell, check out this primer on ecofriendly paint types

HOUSEPLANTS How to Grow Orchids Indoors

By Marianne Lipanovich

Orchids are the exotic aristocrats of the flower world and can make themselves comfortable in almost any home

PATIOS Landscape Paving 101: Slate Adds Color to the Garden

By Falon Mihalic

Slate’s distinct hues set it apart from other natural stone paving

ACCESSORIES Accessories 101: A Splash of Milk Glass

A fanciful group of these vintage collectibles creates timeless style just about anywhere

COLOR Decorating 101: How to Choose Your Colors

Learn where to look for palette inspiration — and one commonly advised place maybe you shouldn’t

Sponsored

More Discussions

Placing the TV on the wall and designing the artificial stone behind t

1

If anyone still reads here …

5

cleaver invasion

2

Weed Treatment For Bermuda Grass

6

Crossvine oddness

4