Bush beans and pole beans question?

[Sammster]

A question for the Green Stalk growers...

How well does the plastic of the Green Stalk hold up to sunshine? How many years of service do you get before they get brittle?

This is only my second year with them. I dont notice any sun damage. There are many youtube homesteaders who've used them longer. You might get a better answer, there. There are also greenstalk groups you could ask on Facebook, maybe MeWe. Maybe even on the sister sites to BYC.

I also have many plastic pots that I've used outside for a dozen years with no issues.

 

[SquawWoman]

So... I had a question about bush beans and pole beans?

I've grown bush beans before but not pole beans. A lot of people in the southwest don't do pole beans. I guess it just never took off. But people do bush beans.

Supposedly beans are nitrogen fixers, which is part of my interest in them.

Anyway... I forgot to do beans this year. I mean... I mostly do cucumbers and tomatoes primarily and then a few other things. So because I was focusing on trying to learn melons this year I just forgot about doing beans entirely. (Wish I'd remembered...)

Anyway, when I did do beans in the past I sort of had a hard time. I did get them to grow. And to produce fruit I also succeeded. But I don't feel like I really had them take off and really do well. Plus, a lot of insects like snails are really attracted to bush beans over other vegetables and that probably played a part in not doing as well with them.

I thought maybe it might help to ask others... for bean techniques what other vegetables would you compare the ideal watering schedule and other techniques with to have them do well? I thought maybe a comparison to the ideal setups might have insight to have them take off and do well next year?

Also I'd wondered do you do a different strategy and techniques and watering setup for pole beans compared to bush beans? Will the same watering rotation and setup even work for pole beans? People I'd talked to that do pole beans say they produce a lot more ('potentially') than bush beans. This made it seem worth it to investigate more on them.

A side question that I'm curious about for beans is when you grow them for the nitrogen fixing, or fertility fixing trait in a field or area, if that area is depleted somewhat in resources, do you grow them there more than 1 year to fix the soil? Is 1 year enough or do you need to do more than 1 year?


Thanks and happy gardening.

Pole beans usually do produce more but if you have a tight space bush beans are great. I actually find the bush beans more tender. Watering schedule should be the same as pile beans. Bush beans are fast growers so there is still time for a harvest this year if you want.

 

[Birdsonghill]

I've used stockings for hammocks. You can get ladies stocking on Amazon super cheap.

Nylon stockings or footsies make great organic pest control on developing apples and some other fruits. Slip them over the developing fruit when small marble size and avoid the need to spray pesticides.

 

[Dontworrybequacky]

We tend to have hot dry summers unless we have a hurricane. So I find my garden does better planted directly in the ground and I don't have to water as much. The fall/winter garden also seems more hardy. I use wide rows to give me plenty of room to work.
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Beautiful and lush!

 

[NanaK]

Beautiful and lush!

Thank you!

Welcome to BYC !

 

[PopoMyers]

We tend to have hot dry summers unless we have a hurricane. So I find my garden does better planted directly in the ground and I don't have to water as much. The fall/winter garden also seems more hardy. I use wide rows to give me plenty of room to work.
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You have a beautiful garden. You must spend hours just harvesting all the beans!

 

[PopoMyers]

I've found also, that beans do not set pods if temps are above 90°F, same with tomatoes. I tried to grow scarlet runner beans in Okinawa, Japan, in the summer and it bloomed, but no pods. It's hot there.

 

[TaylorGlade]

You have a beautiful garden. You must spend hours just harvesting all the beans!

Thank you. And yes. We did. They are starting to take off again since the cooler temps

 

[NanaK]

I've found also, that beans do not set pods if temps are above 90°F, same with tomatoes. I tried to grow scarlet runner beans in Okinawa, Japan, in the summer and it bloomed, but no pods. It's hot there.

I had the same experience with Scarlet Runner Beans. The hummingbirds loved the blooms but very few beans.
I read somewhere they don't do well in the heat and humidity.

 

[akroberts1085]

That's probably the reason I don't get many beans during the hotter months but as soon as it cools down the beans start exploding and I have to start handing them over to some of the neighbors.