table of contents
- French beans
- Growing French beans
- Sow French beans
- Prefer French beans
- French beans in the bucket culture
- frequently asked Questions
Growing French beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) is easy. As a rule, the seeds are sown directly into the bed. But they can also be brought out indoors and planted out later. We'll show you how to grow French beans successfully.
In a nutshell
- heat-loving plants
- Germination from a soil temperature of around 15 degrees Celsius
- Sow in the bed from mid-May
- prefer from the end of April
French beans
Bush beans are the low-growing sisters of the climbing runner beans. While the growth of the latter is unlimited, the height of Phaseolus vulgaris var. nanus, the botanical name of the French bean, is between 30 and 60 centimeters. Like all varieties of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), it loves warmth. The legumes do not tolerate cold and frost at all.
Growing French beans
Growing the French bean is easy, as it makes hardly any demands on the soil and does not have to be fertilized. As heat-loving vegetables, they need a sunny location so that they can develop well. That is why the temperature in this country is the decisive criterion when it comes to the question of "sowing or planting".
Sow French beans
In terms of temperature, you should consider the following points when sowing no-till:
- Minimum floor temperature: ten degrees Celsius
- Earliest time for sowing: mid-May
- Latest date for direct sowing: beginning of July
The sowing depth is about three centimeters. In this way, the seeds can use the top warm soil layer. The germination temperature differs from variety to variety. Some need more warmth, some germinate even at "lower" temperatures:
- 12 to 18 degrees Celsius: Gusty, Saxa, Gondola, Amethyst, Rex, Crockett, Dior, Dorado
- 15 to 22 degrees Celsius: domino, maxi
- 15 to 25 degrees Celsius: Berggold, Brilliant, Delinel, Sonesta, Speedy
If the soil temperature corresponds to the respective variety requirements, French beans germinate within one to two weeks. The harvest takes place between July and September, depending on the sowing date. If there is a risk of a cold snap during germination, you should protect your beans with a plant fleece.
Note: In mild regions it is possible to sow French beans as early as the end of April.
Prefer French beans
In addition to sowing in the garden bed, that is Prefer French beans also possible. As with direct sowing, the temperature is also decisive here. Therefore, the beans should be kept at around 20 degrees Celsius until they are planted. The ideal locations are a bright window sill or a warm greenhouse.
To move forward, proceed as follows:
- Fill small pots eight to ten centimeters in diameter with compost soil
- Put four to five seeds in each jar
- Setting depth: about two centimeters
- Pour well and keep moist
The young plants come into the garden bed in mid-May after the ice saints. Seen in this way, they have a lead of around two weeks compared to direct sowing. Moving forward is considered more time-consuming, as you have to move the plants first.
Note: Since it can be cooler outside than inside in mid-May, you should get the young beans used to the new temperature conditions before planting.
French beans in the bucket culture
The French bean can also be grown in the bucket on the balcony or terrace. Since the legumes develop a dense root system, you should use a large pot so that the plants are comfortable.
It is up to you whether you prefer or sow the beans in the bucket culture. Since the plants are grown in the tub, you can sow the seeds in the final container and prefer them indoors. In this case too, the ideal time is the end of April.
frequently asked Questions
Yes, that is possible. But there are also varieties such as Gusty, which develop new flowers by themselves after harvesting. In this case, you can leave the plants in the ground until the last harvest.
As a rule, the weather should be warm enough for the seeds after the first harvest. However, when reseeding at a later date, the temperature during flowering may no longer be ideal because it should be between 10 and 30 degrees Celsius.
With direct sowing, you can sow in rows or clusters. When seeding in rows, it is important that you leave enough space between the seeds.