A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2005 Growing bean pods?..

How do you grow your bean pods, I've never had much luck with them. Do you start your seeds on flat ground and hoe them up to a hilled row, or plant them in hilled rows and just hand weed?
This year I am planting them in a separate little garden by themselves. Please send some advice.

Hi Tamara. I've noticed that some folks refer to "hills" for anything like beans, squash etc. when you plant three or four seeds in one spot, whether the ground is flat or mounded. Any time you plant on a raised row or mound you benefit for several reasons, soil depth being one. Many green beans are vine types, some are bush types. Soak the beans overnight before you plant. For bush beans, plant them in rows. Spacing is based on your gardening style, but one foot apart is good. Leave plenty of room between rows or you'll never get in there to harvest. Beans must be harvested often or they'll slow their production. Pole beans, the vine type, can be planted in rows and trained onto string or other trellises, or in "hills." Some people make little teepee shaped pole structures out of bamboo or straight sticks, and some varieties of beans can climb as high as 12 feet or more. Keep plenty of space between your hills. Corn and squash are good companion plants for beans...you should look into companion planting if you're not familiar with the term...many plants benefit from being interplanted. Good luck!