Plant beans directly in the garden once the soil has warmed to at least 65 degrees. Set bush beans 1 inch deep and 2 inches apart in rows spaced 24 inches apart. Pole beans trained to a wall or trellis should be set 1 inch deep and 3 inches apart, in rows at least 36 inches apart; if you are using poles, plant six to eight seeds to each pole, thinning to the four strongest plants.
HARVESTING HEIRLOOM BEANS
For string beans, you have to be vigilant. Within a day they could go from tender to tough. Harvest them three quarters their full size. Keep picking regularly to encourage a greater yield. Bush beans tend to ready for harvest at least a week earlier then pole bean varieties.
SAVING HEIRLOOM BEAN SEEDS
Bean strains usually remain pure because plants are self-pollinate, but if you are serious about maintaining an heirloom, it should be kept a hundred feet away from other varieties. Allow the beans to harden in the pods; they are ready to be brought under cover to complete the drying, when your thumbnail leaves only a slight dent. Pull up the plant by the roots and store in the garage or outbuilding. harvest the fully hardened beans by putting them in a pillow case and walking on them. Separate the beans and pods. Store in a open jar or paper bag, since bean seeds like to breathe.
66634 - SAVING SEEDS
The Gardener's Guide to Growing and Storing Vegetable and Flower Seeds
by Marc Rogers
Learn how to select, harvest, and store seeds from more that 100 vegetables and flowers commonly grown in home gardens.
192 pages, 6 x 9, paperback,
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66918 - Soil Scoop
Called one of the "50 Favorite Gardening Products" by Organic Gardening, this general purpose digging tool has a patented spoon shaped blade with a sharply pointed tip and serrated edges. By using it with the point down - opposite of how you'd hold a trowel- it works like a natural extension of your hand. Use the Soil Scoop to dig holes, furrow, weed, cut roots, and open soil bags. Also great for pots & containers
