Have you harvested your first vegetables in June (for example early lettuce or kohlrabi) yet? If so, you have freed up some space in your garden that you can use. The soil is still full of nutrients and moisture, so it would be a shame to let it sit idle. A suitable vegetable that you can plant is green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris var. nanus ‘Valetta’).You are probably more familiar with the regular (climbing) beans, but this type of green bean is also very tasty. It is also known as French beans and growing this type of beans is not complicated.

What are French beans?

French beans are very popular and can reach a height of about 40 centimetres. The big advantage is that they do not need any supporting stakes, and you can grow it successfully even on your balcony. You can pre-plant French beans as early as in May and transfer seedlings to your garden at the end of the month. But thanks to the length of the growing season, you can actually sow any time until the beginning of July.

Photo: Pixabay

Sowing

Even though you can pre-sow French beans, direct sowing is more common (and much easier too). However, make sure to do it only after there is no danger of frost – preferably around mid-May. You can sow in rows (40 cm apart, individual plants 10 cm apart) or in clusters (each cluster should contain approximately five plants. Clusters should be 50 cm apart). When you want to grow French beans on your balcony (or in containers), a container with a diameter of 30 cm will do – four plants can fit into a container with this diameter.

Choose suitable location

A sunny location spot is best and if this part gets hit by stronger winds or drafts, we recommend stretching a string between plants to provide additional support. Occasional wind is okay. French beans are less demanding on nutrients than their more common relatives, but if you provide loose soil with added compost they will love you. Watering is important. Sufficient amount of water affects the final size and taste of the pods. As soon as flowers appear, water abundantly and regularly: never let the plants to dry out! Get rid of weeds regularly, as weeds take nutrients away.

How to harvest

Pods are ripe when they are 10 to 15 centimetres long and bright green. You don’t need to cut them, just break them off the plant (be careful not to pull! You may pull out the whole plant from the ground easily). Regular harvesting encourages the formation of more pods, so do that and your overall yield should increase . As with any vegetables, use French beans immediately, but you may freeze them too.

Preview photo: Pixabay