Snappy Green Beans
Delicious, Easy to Grow and Nutritious
Snappy Green Beans
Snap beans are one of the most popular vegetables grown in the home garden. And why not, they are delicious, easy to grow and nutritious. The name snap bean refers to the "snapping" sound the bean makes when cooks break the bean in half. Many call them string beans because of the "string" of skin that runs along the seam of the bean, though many of the modern varieties are stringless. Since people consume these beans unripe with the seed still in the pod, many just call them "green beans."
Green Bean Botanical Name
The botanical name of the green beans is Phaseolus vulgaris. The first name is the genus name, the second is the species name. Phaseolus is the Greek name for a type of bean. Vulgaris is Latin for common.
Bean Family
Leguminosae, Fabaceae
Fabaceae is a new name fixed by botanists that derives from the Latin word "bean." Leguminosae is an older name, still used, which is a Latin term that refers to the fruit.
The Fabaceae family is a large family that consists of annual, perennial plants, trees, vines and herbs. It is the third largest plant family with 630 genera and over 18,860 species. Many of the members of this family have great economic importance. These include peas, beans, soybeans, licorice, alfalfa and clover. Most members of this family have a fruit that botanists refer to as a legume. This seeds developed inside a pod that has two seams. Several seeds usually inhabit each pod. Most members of this family also host bacteria called rhizobia in nodules on their roots. These bacteria have the important function of taking nitrogen from the air and converting it to a form that most plants can use. This trait makes legumes an important part of a gardeners plant rotation. These bacteria convert more nitrogen than their hosts can use. The remainder of the nitrogen stays in the soil after the plant has completed its life cycle, making it available to other plants.
Origins of the Snap Bean
Snap beans originated in the hot tropics. They come mostly from Central and South America, India and China. Spanish conquistadors carried the bean to Europe in 1597. The American Indians cultivated beans. They grew them in the same mounds with corn and squash. This is the famed "three sisters" growing system. The Amerindians would not have eaten these beans green. Instead, they would have let them mature and harvested them as dry beans.
Green Bean Soil and Sun
Green beans need at least six to eight hours of sun per day. They like rich, well drained slightly acidic soil with a pH of about 6.0 to 6.2. They don't need nitrogen fertilizer because they can fix their own from the atmosphere. It can be helpful to use a legume inoculate to introduce the bacteria to the beans. This is only needed in new garden plots, as the bacterial will stay in the soil several years. The inoculate should be available at most garden centers.
Planting Green Beans
Snap beans should be planted in the garden after all danger of frost has passed. They will take seven to ten days to germinate when the soil temperature has reached 65 - 70 degrees. Plant the seeds one and a half to two inches deep and about six inches apart in the row. Rows separation depends upon you gardening method. If you hand cultivate or grow in raised beds plant the seeds about six inches apart. If planting in rows, make sure the row width accommodates your garden tiller or other machine. Pole beans will need some sort of trellis system to support the vines.
Green Bean Garden Culture
After planting bush beans will need little care other than to check for insect pests or disease every few days. Pole beans will need some sort of support to climb. An extra feeding of manure, compost or diluted liquid fertilizer can benefit beans about halfway through the growing season.
Pollination:
Honey bees, bumble bees and carpenter bees pollinate them. Bumble and carpenter bees appear to be the most efficient. Beans can self pollinate and hand pollination is possible. Use a small brush to brush pollen off the anther onto the pistil. You can use a paint brush, make up brush or cotton swab.
Food Uses:
Garden beans may be consumed green, before the pod matures as green, snap bean. Or allow the bean pod to mature and harvest them as dried beans. Green snap beans may either be eaten cooked or raw. Dry beans serve as a base for soups, stews, baked beans or any number of other ways.
Harvesting Green Beans
Once the beans appear, you may eat them at any stage. Most gardeners wait until the beans are the diameter of a pencil, after they are firm and just before the bean seeds forming inside start to show. At this point they will "snap" when broken in two. The oftener you pick the beans, the more they will produce. To harvest, grasp the joint where the bean joins the vine and pull with the other hand. For best flavor, cook right away but they will keep for a couple of days in the refrigerator.
Dry Beans
Wait until the pods are dry. At this point, the bean vine will probably be dead, too. Pull the beans from the vines and spread them out in a cool, dry place for a few days. After a few days the pods should split open easily. Strip out the beans and allow them to dry a few more days in a cool, dry place. Then put into bags, canisters, or other container and store until used in a cool dry area. The beans should keep several months if stored properly.
Fresh Storage:
After purchasing fresh green beans put them, unwashed, in a sealed plastic bag or plastic container with a tight sealing lid. Put them in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. They should keep well for about seven days. Rinse well before cooking.
© 2023 Paul Wonning