Growing Beans - dwarf, also French beans, Bush beans

Phaseolus vulgaris : Fabaceae / the pea or legume family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
      S S S S          
      T T T T T        
      P P P P          

(Best months for growing Beans - dwarf in Australia - tropical regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • P = Sow seed
  • Easy to grow. Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 16°C and 30°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 5 - 15 cm apart
  • Harvest in 7-10 weeks. Pick often to encourage more flower production.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Sweetcorn, spinach, lettuce, summer savory, dill, carrots, brassicas, beets, radish, strawberry and cucumbers, tagates minuta (wild marigold)
  • Avoid growing close to: Alliums (Chives, leek, garlic, onions) Sunflower
  • A dwarf bean seedling
  • Bush/Dwarf beans

Traditionally sown in rows, dwarf beans also grow well 'broadcast' or scattered over an area. Just scatter the seed (don't worry about the odd ones which are close up). Cover with soil, potting mix, or compost and firm down with the back of a spade or rake. Grown this way the beans will mostly shade out competing weeds and 'self-mulch'.

Keep watered and watch for shield bugs and green caterpillars Pick the beans regularly to encourage new flowers. Flowering will slow right down if you let the beans get too large (hard and stringy) on the plants. For a continuous crop, plant more seed as soon as the previous planting starts to flower. Protect against snails and slugs - they will completely destroy newly sprouted beans, and will eat the leaves off grown plants.

Culinary hints - cooking and eating Beans - dwarf

Can be used in salads when young, blanched and cooled.
Will freeze well.

Your comments and tips

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10 Nov 23, Sarah (Australia - temperate climate)
Planted dwarf Beans early September with a lot of success. Have harvested 3 times including this morning. I can see some leaves are starting to turn yellow. What vegetable can I plant to replace. Summer can be extremely hot at times
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25 Nov 23, (Australia - temperate climate)
https://www.queenslandgardening.com/calender.html Try this website. I'm sub- tropical and I don't grow veg in summer - too hot wet and windy. Start again early March.
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01 May 23, Barb (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Are yellow (butter) string less beans considered "dwarf"... grow to 60 cm.tall. OK to grow in same tub as brassicas??
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15 Jan 23, christina (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
hi... my bean plants are covered in rust, I have sprayed with a mixture of milk/water .... not sure what is happening... they are in full sun... and they have small holes in the pods ??
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06 Jan 23, Christie (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi, Do they need full sun? Could I plant them in part shade in a giant tub? Thank you!
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18 Jan 23, Anonymous (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
yes
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20 Dec 21, Cheryl (Australia - temperate climate)
When you say "Avoid planting close to....", what minimum distance should be kept from these plants? A few metres or something else?
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31 Dec 21, FaithCeleste Archer (Canada - Zone 7b Mild Temperate climate)
When and if you plant your beans too closely together (or if you plant in the shade) - they will REACH for the light, becoming very leggy. Planting too close together stops the light from hitting the sides of the plant (plants in the middle are effectively in the shade with exception to the top portion), only the top portion of the plant gets sunlight and therefore the plant reaches that way.... "up". You could, if you were planting only one row provided the row ran N/S plant closely together because 2 sides get full sun (if rows run W/E the plants in the same row tend to shade each other -- plant large plants on the North side of rows that run N/S; this is Northern Hemisphere). That's why spacing is usually given as, between plants (within a row that runs N/S) and then the distance between rows (running W/E). Of course if you are planting on a steep slope, than run your rows parallel to the slope as a general rule of thumb This is the above ground portion of plant spacing. There is also the below ground portion of plant spacing: roots, water and nutrition. If you were to just look at the root (and ignore for a moment the above ground portion): tap rooted plants can be planted closer together than fibrous root plants, because the tap root goes DOWN, and fibrous spreads out and down. Companion planting takes root and sunlight requirements into account: for example: you can plant carrots AROUND a tomato plant ; because carrots don't need much light (and the tomato does), and carrots being a tap root don't interfere with the fibrous roots of the tomato plant, which just go around the carrot. Mind you when you pull the carrot you do disrupt the tomato a little; but not so much that I would be concerned. You can get more vegetables in a smaller space when you learn which plants can work as "understory" plants to others. When it comes to plant nutrition; spacing ensure there is enough soil to source the appropriate vitamins and minerals a plant requires. When planting tightly; or using companion planting you need to take into account that you are planting tighter than the recommended spacing and therefore increase the nutrition (manure/compost) in areas where tight planting is happening.
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28 Dec 21, Mary (Australia - temperate climate)
Don't overthink it just plant away. You can space them out but no harm if they grow closer together.
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21 Dec 21, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Different garden beds or a few meters should be good enough.
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Showing 1 - 10 of 107 comments
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Planted dwarf Beans early September with a lot of success. Have harvested 3 times including this morning. I can see some leaves are starting to turn yellow. What vegetable can I plant to replace. Summer can be extremely hot at times

- Sarah

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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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