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Beans, Peas & Legumes

Spacing for Bush Beans

2 years ago

Any opinions on spacing for bush beans? Seems like people usually space them very close, get a rush of beans at one time, then the plants look sickly and people give up on them. If you space them further you might get healthier plants but less production. I've read that you can trim the plants hard after the first production, and they will grow back and produce again.

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Comments (3)

LoneJack Zn 6a, KC
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
I'm in the plant them thick at 3" spacing in row and pick for 3 weeks or so crowd. Then yank them out. I plant bush beans in early May and harvest late June to mid July. Then plant a second crop in late July to pick in September to October. In between I have a small 4' wide trellis with pole beans (Emerite this year) that start producing about the time the first bush beans are worn out. I have to battle the Japanese beetles for the pole beans but they don't bother the bush beans much.

I freeze or give away many of the bush beans during the deluge but the pole beans produce just enough to eat fresh a couple times a week.
robert567 thanked LoneJack Zn 6a, KC
happydog
2 years ago
I plant them in a staggered double row at 6" spacing. After they're spent you can prune them back with a weed whacker or lawnmower set on high, give them a bit of fish emulsion, and they'll regrow for a second yield.
robert567 thanked happydog
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When you have a limited amount of space like I do trellising space is crucial.I have two 4x8 beds which face north to south direction so putting a trellis at south end of the garden would shade out everything else. I put the trellis on the north end which gives me 4 squares per bed(8 squares in all).I plant 4 squares in tomatoes and 4 in green beans. I added some extra trellising space up the sides of both beds which I used for cuks and more tomatoes. I would like to plant other vining type plants like butter beans or summer squash but trellis space is unavailable and none can be added because it would shade out other plants. Planting the bush beans is a really good idea for canning, but how many squares does it take to make a large enough crop for canning, and do you have any problems with them getting into other squares?
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I also follow the SFG spacing recommendations for the most part. If the bush beans seed packet says to plant with 4" spacing between the plants, then that is 9 per square. 12"/4" = 3 = which would be planted 3 rows of 3 per square foot. I trellis as much as I can ... tomatoes, melons, cucumber, peas, pole beans, and easily follow the guidelines for spacing on the trellised items. Onions I did not think are every inch ? That would be 144 per square. Onions I thought were 16 per square, which is 3" spacing; or 36 per square for scallions, which is 2" spacing. Why this works is the mix of soil in the garden. You are using 1/3 compost from 5 different types (cow, chicken, mushroom, worm, and composted lawn clippings, for example) which will be rich in a variety of nutrients. You are using 1/3 vermiculite which retains water and keeps the soil moist. You are using 1/3 peat moss which adds bulk and provides proper drainage.
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zeedman Zone 5 Wisconsin
2 years ago
There are a lot of considerations that could go into my answer. How much seed you have; how much space; whether you intend to can, or eat fresh; and whether you intend to succession-crop where the beans will be grown.

Close spacing requires more seed. The yield per plant is lower, but the yield per square foot (or row foot) is maximized. Such a strategy is best where you intend a quick yield for canning, or if the beans will then be pulled to use the space for something else. Alternatively, you could make several smaller plantings in succession, to spread the yield over a longer period.

Two possible downsides I see to close spacing. If bean diseases are prevalent in your area, or if rodents are a frequent problem, both of those situations are exacerbated by close spacing.

Wider spacing produces healthier plants, and a higher yield per plant... so if you have a limited amount of seed, this would be the best option. Beans are remarkably good at branching out to take advantage of extra space. Plants that are widely spaced tend to produce over a longer period, and are more likely to bounce back for a second picking... so the assumed reduction in yield may not be as pronounced as you might think. IMO wide spacing is better suited for picking & eating fresh. I should point out though that if you have the space, succession planting will spread the harvest out even further.

Personally, I am an advocate for wider spacing. My main reasons for that are seed efficiency, healthier seed if seed saving (which I do) and reduction of disease & rodent issues. In the case of beans, wider spacing can also improve pod quality - longer, better filled-out pods. I give away a lot of produce to others, so that improvement in quality is important to me.
robert567 thanked zeedman Zone 5 Wisconsin

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