Latin |
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Phaseolus vulgaris
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When To Start |
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Mid-May to the beginning of July. Try to plant during a warm dry spell. Soil must be warm -if it is not warm enough, seeds will rot, especially since our seeds are not treated with fungicide.
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Preparing the Seeds |
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Using inoculant on seeds helps growth. If the weather is too wet, beans can also be started in pots indoors and set out carefully a few weeks later. For a continuous harvest, plant at 3 week intervals. Seeds will sprout in 8-16 days depending on soil temperature. In optimum conditions at least 85% of seeds will germinate. Usual seed life: 3 years. 56g = 2 ounces.
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Preparing the Soil |
Well-drained, warm soil is best. Raised beds help with both drainage and warmth. Use 1 cup of complete organic fertilizer for 3m (10') of row. Too much nitrogen fertilizer is often the cause of poor pod set and delayed maturity. Optimum soil
temperature for germination: 21-32ºC (70-90ºF
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Diseases |
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If beans flower but do not set pods, the cause can be a zinc deficiency. Try spraying the plants with Kelpman. Wet leaves on crowded plants are subject to diseases. Thin plants to increase air circulation and try not to touch the plants while they are wet.
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Harvest |
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Pick beans regularly to keep the plant producing (if pods get fat with seed, the plant will stop flowering). The smaller the bean, the more tender they are.
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