Vegetable · Legume
Bush Beans
Phaseolus vulgarisA fast, no-fuss bean that needs nothing more than warm soil and a sunny spot to start cropping within weeks. Unlike their climbing cousins, bush types need no support and finish quickly. The one rule: wait for the soil to warm — cold, wet ground simply rots the seed.
Sow depth
1 in
Spacing
4 in · rows 18 in
Sun
Full sun
Germination
8–12 days
Time to harvest
50–60 days
Difficulty
Easy
When to sow bush beans
- Sow from about 1 week after your last expected frost until about 9 weeks before the first expected autumn frost.
Wait for warm soil — cold, damp ground rots seed before it sprouts.Sow direct; beans dislike root disturbance from transplanting.Space rows generously for airflow, which helps prevent fungal disease.
Water at the root, not overhead, to keep foliage dry and disease-free.Mulch to keep soil evenly moist through flowering and pod set.Avoid working around wet plants — this spreads fungal spores.
Pick pods young, before seeds bulge, for the most tender beans.Harvest every few days — regular picking keeps plants producing.Use two hands to pick; yanking can uproot the whole shallow plant.
Companion plants
As nitrogen-fixers, bush beans feed heavy nitrogen users like sweetcorn planted alongside.
Watch out for
Mexican bean beetle — Skeletonizes leaves in warm weather. Hand-pick larvae and adults, or cover young plants with mesh.Powdery mildew — Coats leaves in humid, crowded plantings. Space plants well and water at the soil line.