Growing beans using a pole is known to have more benefits than any other method available. According to experts, may they be gardeners who grow beans at home or those who do it for a living, growing this type of beans cannot be compared to other bean types, even the best of their varieties. Furthermore, their taste is undoubtedly pleasant and satisfying.
Just like growing other types of crops, there are certain things you need to consider in order to produce a good and healthy harvest. Two of the most important factors to prepare include location and the size of your site. You will learn more about pole beans as you read along.
CLASSIFICATION OF BEANS
In general, the number of classified beans has reached up to 40,000. There are so many beans to mention, but not all of them are popular and primarily grown or sold for day-to-day consumption.
As you can observe, beans come in different forms, colors, tastes, proportions and sizes. Depending on your preference, you can have it canned, chilled / frozen, parched, or cooked. Among the most common types of beans include chickpea, pinto bean, kidney bean, black bean, and the famous green bean. These beans are also known to provide the most nutrients when compared to other types of beans.
- Chickpea
Fiber and protein are two important nutrients our bodies require. It is good to know that both of these nutrients can be obtained from beans, specifically chickpeas. Moreover, this type of bean is also good for people with diabetes. If you are one of the many diabetic patients, then you may want to consider adding chickpeas to your diet as they have been proven to aid in lowering the amount of sugar found in the blood, and at the same time promote responsiveness to the hypoglycemic agent known as insulin. The number of calories present in chickpeas is also low so you do not have to worry about your cholesterol level for that matter.
- Pinto Bean
Pinto bean is widely consumed in the southern portion of North America, specifically in Mexico. Several studies were conducted to prove its benefits and all of the studies resulted positively. Pinto beans were proven to reduce two of the most detrimental problems in the blood namely high cholesterol and high blood sugar. Also, these beans are good in achieving optimum wellness and function of your gastrointestinal system. Pinto beans can be served in the table as whole beans, mashed or even pan-fried.
- Kidney bean
You may have noticed that kidney beans are commonly sold in the market and in restaurants. This is due to the fact that they are best served in the table together with rice, giving you a delectable meal. Like the other varieties, kidney beans have high fiber content which is an important factor that scales down sugar absorption in the blood. This activity results to a low blood sugar level which we all strive to achieve. When this happens, the risk of gaining unnecessary weight that arises from diabetes can also be prevented.
- Black Bean
You might confuse black beans with black turtle beans but know that they are just the same. It’s what other people call this type. Black beans are widely used in the Latin America and in fact, they make sure black beans are included in their regular meal. Given this, you can conclude that wherever you are in their country, you can find these beans in almost all their cooking.
- Green Beans
This is by far the most common type of bean all over the world. You can see these beans in almost every store in the fruit and vegetable section and they are either sold fresh from the garden, unthawed, or even canned. If you’re on a picnic or if you plan to have an out of town trip but still want to sure you are getting good nutrition, you can actually prepare something out of these beans because they can be eaten raw. Otherwise, you can choose to steam, fry, bake, or boil green beans whenever you want to.
IDEAL WAY OF GROWING POLE BEANS
Beans can be classified according to how you would want them to grow, either bush or pole. The latter is said to be the preference of most landscaping companies because this method provides more space for growing beans. Aside from that, gardeners have the security to yield more beans at a much longer period of time. However, growing beans in a pole may need some sort of training, but it will all be worth it because of all the benefits this method has to offer.
- First of all, preparing your soil is of utmost importance. Make sure it is well-drained as pole beans do not grow well if the soil is either dry or damp. A good way to ensure you get a large crop is to add organic fertilizer to the soil before actual planting begins.
- There is a required length of pole for gardeners who choose to grow their beans in a pole. You just don’t pick any pole length but make sure it’s about 6 feet high. With this pole length, your vines can grow healthy of up to 5 – 10 feet long. They may also be grown on something like a pergola.
- Regularly watering your pole beans is also necessary. It is recommended to give your growing beans at least 1 inch of water on a weekly basis. They cannot grow healthy in extreme soil conditions — too dry or too soggy.
- Young beans cannot just grow on their own, they need a bit of support in order to get them off the ground. There is a tendency for their flowers to decay or even not bloom at all if they are unable to climb up the pole at an early stage.
- The only time you should start to harvest the beans is when you see that the pods are already brimming and puffed up. You must remember that over-aged beans may develop a terrible taste. The rule is to pick up the beans in the span of three to five days to avoid it from that unpleasant taste.
- You can never go wrong with using freshly harvested beans for they will surely give you a relish dish. However, not all beans can be utilized in just one time. What you can do is to prepare and store them for future usage by quickly plunging them in a boiling water. This will set the beans up for freezing.
BENEFITS OF GREEN BEANS
A great deal of people enjoy feasting on green beans and would even consider them as one of their favorite vegetables. This is mainly due to the savor these beans give, as well as the crunch you get from every bite. These pleasures are just superficial when we talk about how helpful green beans are to the human body. A lot of essential vitamins and minerals can be gained from green beans. In fact, it is a very good source of folate, a member of B vitamin that counteracts any activity in the body that may cause birth defects.
There are a lot of ways to eat green beans. Some variety can be eaten raw by simply snapping both end of the bean and directly add to your bowl of salad. Others prefer to cook it by mixing it with other vegetables. However you want to serve green beans, you are definitely getting a lot of good nutrients from it.
- Decrease Risk for Cancer
Green beans have been proven to prevent someone from developing cancer. One study proved the presence of chlorophyll in beans, a green substance found in green vegetables such as green beans. This substance safeguards the body against cancer by blocking carcinogenic effects of heterocyclic amines we get when we eat foods such as grilled meat. If you love to eat grilled food, it is recommended to pair it with green vegetables in order to at least keep your body healthy.
However, we should always consider the famous quote, “Too much of something is bad”. This simply tells us that high doses of chlorophyll could also be dangerous. You should only take green beans regularly in moderate amounts.
- Women’s Fertility and Pregnancy
A healthy pregnant woman is one that gets enough nutrients the she and her baby needs. As they say, natural is always good which is why it is best and safe for pregnant women to rely more on plant sources to obtain essential nutrients. Green beans are indeed very nutritious and pregnant women should not forget to include this in their diet as these beans are rich in iron. Add to that, this vegetable may be the solution to a woman’s issue with getting pregnant since green beans boost fertility.
One point of consideration is iron absorption. You see, iron is best absorbed by the body when paired with foods that are rich in vitamin C. To name a few, we have berries and tomatoes available in almost all markets.
Also, all pregnant women seek to ensure their baby’s safety against any developing neural tube defects. To help avoid this from happening, add a cup of green beans to a your diet and you are definitely on your way to protecting your baby.
- Depression
There are many possible causes of depression and each experience is uniquely triggered by several factors. Folate deficiency is one these many reasons. Since folate is abundant in green beans, then it may be the solution to your problem. Folate aids in lowering the amount of homocysteine in our blood. Too much homocysteine, an amino acid found in the human blood, is dangerous that is why it is important that you have enough folate in your body.
We can get homocysteine from our favorite red meat. Some would suggest to pair your red meat with beans to avoid unwanted amino acids from entering your bloodstream. Chances of developing heart diseases is also heightened when there is excess homocysteine. According to several studies, there is a parallel connection between the two. Aside from the risk of developing heart disease, having superfluous amount of homocysteine can affect the blood flow to the brain. Decreased blood flow to the brain would mean that there is not enough nutrients entering your brain; therefore, your brain is unable to function properly.
Furthermore, this amino acid will also prevent the production of good hormones namely serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine which are all important in promoting good sleep, good frame of mind, and appetite.
- Improves Bone Health
Bones are the main structure to our bodies. They also help protect vital organs. That is why keeping our bones healthy is a top priority. Beans have high amounts of vitamin K. Receiving enough amounts of vitamin K decreases the chances of bone fractures.
With the occurrence of matrix protein in the bones, bone health can greatly be preserved or reinforced. This is another great example of what vitamin K does to promote bone health. It also helps the body absorb calcium, which is crucial in bone development. Our body can retain more calcium since vitamin K prevents calcium from being excreted through our bodies along with urine.
You can get around 14.4 micrograms of vitamin K for every cup of green beans that you eat. This is almost 20 percent of the total amount of Vitamin K that our body needs every day.
Green beans will always be an important part of a person’s diet. I’m not saying that you should definitely eat green beans everyday in every meal, although it won’t hurt you if you do. They are best consumed as part of a healthy and varied diet since there are also other food sources that can provide the same thing. However, multiple studies have shown that the individual consumption or intake of the same nutrients that we get with green beans, especially in the form of supplements, will not give the same results to the body.
- Ideal for a healthy diet
Green beans come in different forms in the market. You can choose from a variety of fresh, frozen, or canned green beans. If you are buying the canned ones, keep in mind that food safety should be your top priority. Properly wash and rinse the beans before eating or cooking. By doing this, you are reducing the amount of sodium before actually eating the beans. You must know that a significant percentage of sodium is reduced when you do this. Sodium can damage your kidneys if you have ingested too much food containing it.
If you notice that the beans are no longer crispy and bright green in color, then they are not fresh at all. One way of prolonging their freshness is to store them inside the refrigerator using a properly sealed and clean bag.
MAKING LOAM SOIL FOR YOUR BEANS
The hardest part in growing crops and plants is the preparation. To ensure that you get the best harvest you can, you’ll need to secure the best type of soil since your plants will get the essential nutrients from them.
To start off, you’ll need to till your seedbed. Make sure you have a section in the garden that receives direct sunlight. Spade that area to about 6 to 8 inches deep. It is important that the soil is free from lumps or any form of turf. When you are able to prepare the soil using this method, you are giving the roots enough space to extend or stretch accordingly. Furthermore, the roots won’t have a hard time absorbing water and getting all the nutrients needed to supply the growing beans. Getting the right amount of soil temperature will also greatly affect a plant’s germination. The optimal soil temperature is around 60oF. Try to achieve that temperature level before you begin planting.
Location is also an important thing to consider before planting. Make sure that your plants will get enough sunlight during the day. Aside from providing what is needed for the plant to grow, sunlight also speeds up the drying of soil. Prolonged wet foliage could make your plants vulnerable to certain diseases that grow in wet conditions.
To further help your plants grow and germinate, applying fertilizer is also a factor that needs to be well thought out. Getting a soil’s PH balance right would help in nutrient absorption. You can buy a P.H. Testing kit at your local hardware store so you can check your soil’s PH balance. Getting in touch with your local county agent or an experienced gardener is also a great move. They can also assist you in determining the proper fertilizer balance that you can use to help make loam soil.
Rototilling the soil is an easy way to help mix the different components into the earth, and if you don’t have ready access to the machinery, you can get a pro to do it very cheaply. You simply have to fill out the form below and we’ll help you get quotes from different pros, and you can just choose the cheapest one, if any. Getting quotes is free, so you don’t really have anything to lose from it.
PESTS
- Mexican Bean Beetles
Mexican bean beetles are best removed by simply handpicking them. However, when you do, you’ll need to make sure that you get them all, as well as their eggs. To ensure a thorough removal of this pest, you’ll have to take away any infested plants every harvest time.
- Aphids
One way of removing aphids is by using water. Water must be applied as a hard stream to make sure they are carried away by the pressure of the water. You can also wash off your plants from time to time by just simply pouring water over them. This can be done early in the day if possible. Aside from that, you’ll also need to be on the look out for different appearances of aphids. They may come in gray-brown or bloated parasite.
- Leafhoppers
These enemies come in the shade of light green. Some of them are colored gray. They are tiny, yet they are able to exploit growing beans by sucking their juices. Through this, they are able to penetrate your garden and viruses may be transferred to the plants. Also, plant growth is hindered which makes your beans unhealthy.
As of today, there is no known cultural control that can be utilized in dealing with leafhoppers aside from flooding your plants with pesticides. This is not really advisable if other measures can be taken. In this case, using pesticides is the only solution to fight this pestilence.
- Seedcorn Maggot
One can help lessen the chance of getting seedcorn maggots by eliminating the use of organic fertilizer on your seedbed or on your entire garden. Organic fertilizers, specifically manure, are good attractions to maggot flies. What is worse is that they can even trigger the maggot to lay eggs which is a great danger to your garden. If you must use them, you can try to buy insecticide-activated seeds and use a pair of gloves to plant them.
- Spidermites
Just like how you can remove aphids, a good, unwavering stream of water can help solve your problem with spidermites. It is not necessary to do this daily but if you do, this is a good idea in removing the mites attached to your bean plants. As always, it is best to water plants early in the morning.
COMMON DISEASES
Water is essential to every living thing. However, too much water can also be destructive. Certain types of plant diseases such as bacterial blights live and survive on perpetually or excessively wet foliage. One of the reasons why it is best to water early in the morning is that it gives plants the chance to dry off the entire day.
- Bacterial Blights
Bacterial blights can also be avoided by giving your plants sufficient amount of space. With enough space comes good air circulation. This can help prevent contamination from one affected plant to the next. Also, weeds are our garden’s constant enemy. By removing the weeds surrounding your growing beans, you are able to promote air circulation to your entire garden.
- Bean Common Mosaic Virus (BV-1 and NY 15)
If one of your plants is affected by Bean common mosaic virus (BV-1 and NY 15), then you’ll have no choice but to totally remove the affected plant. It is not safe to remove only infested parts because there is a tendency that viruses can still be transferred. You also need to remember that the roots may have been infested with the virus, so in order for you to ensure that you can fully wipe out the viruses, replace the surrounding soil as well.
There are certain types of bean varieties that are resistant to these common viruses that you can use though. Popular examples include Lancer, Blue Bush 274, Royal Burgundy, Improved Tendergreen, and many more.
- White Mold
White mold is another common plant disease that grows well in wet foliage. Luckily, you can treat or avoid this type of disease the same way as you do with bacterial blight. Aside from the methods that were mentioned above, removing all infected plant parts such as fallen leaves and diseased pods by using a rake is a very good practice during the Autumn season. To further strengthen the health of you entire garden, you may consider crop rotation.
