Green bean, along with asparagus, is one of the most valuable representatives of the legume family. Its homeland is Central and South America. Currently, it is also cultivated in Our Country, where even Siberian gardeners manage to get a rich harvest of this crop. In the article we will talk about the types, features, useful qualities, technology for planting, growing, caring for and harvesting your favorite plant.
Features
As soon as they don’t call tender young green beans – both green, and French, and asparagus. Its difference from grain is the absence of a characteristic layer of parchment inside the pod. It has soft wings, so when cooking, your favorite vegetable can be consumed whole. The vegetable surprises with a large number of color characteristics. Its bush and climbing varieties are known.
If it is really possible to harvest the crop from the bushes faster, then the climbing species produce more numerous bean pods. The further north the region is located, the more early-ripening varieties are recommended to be grown there. Ordinary green beans, the cultivation of which has its own characteristics, is endowed with wide and short wings. They have a flattened shape and a somewhat pointed nose. Asian species are characterized by the presence of long pods with small seeds. This culture is especially highly valued in Asia and the USA.
Video “Description”
From the video you will learn a lot of new facts about green beans.
Types
There are many types of such beans. Let’s take a closer look at the most popular ones.
Red contains vitamins and fiber. When using it, it is really possible to strengthen the immune system and feel better psychologically. White contains a lot of magnesium and calcium, which are very necessary for the human body. Soft and tender green pods, which are not yet 2 weeks old, can be eaten with a peel. The fruits of yellow, which is also called “butter”, can also be eaten with the skin. Purple is also known, it is also Georgian or dragon languages, beans. The length of its pod reaches 12 cm. It has a characteristic yellow-violet color. Can be eaten raw (unlike red, which can harm health). If you are cooking overgrown fruits, it is best not to mix them with other ingredients. Asparagus, otherwise sugary, varieties are thinner, shorter and juicier. Semi-sugar grow up to 15 cm in length. They are good when cooked and eaten at an early stage of their maturation.
Among the Asian representatives of the species, it is worth mentioning the long Chinese beans, which are also known as asparagus or snake beans. They do not have a “crunch”, the length is up to 50 cm. There is also a Kenyan, the selected pods of which grow in Africa. They are quite thin, have no more than 5 mm in diameter, after processing they acquire a spicy sweet-nutty taste.
Useful Properties
Experts have found that beans contain vitamins of groups A, C, B1, B2, E, which are necessary for every human body. They contain the most important macro- and microelements. These are iron, phosphorus, calcium, zinc, folic acid. Beans are also popular because they are high in simple protein and fiber. It is this optimal composition of nutritional and beneficial components that has made this product very popular.
Cultivation
How to grow string beans? There are certain rules of agricultural technology that help gardeners grow green beans. Remember that for planting such a crop, not sandy, not acidic, and not heavy soil is necessarily chosen. Sowing should be carried out when the soil has already warmed up to at least + 13. Usually this time falls on May – June. Bean seeds are preheated and soaked. They need to be embedded in the ground no deeper than 7 cm. Shoots of any variety should be loosened and mulched. When the stem grows at least 15 cm, the crops must be spudded. Still string beans, the cultivation and care of which is within the power of everyone, loves light, humidity and heat. Drought is very dangerous for her. In the presence of such weather during the flowering period, the ovary often even disappears. And then there is no need to wait for the harvest. It is also necessary to choose a place for landing without drafts and wind.
How to prepare seeds before sowing? You can warm them up in the sun or on a battery. In industrial agricultural technology, dryers are used, where the temperature is at the level of + 30 – +35 degrees. Next, the seeds are soaked for a day in warm water. It needs to be changed 4 times a day.
In the process of preparing the beds, if necessary, eliminate the acidity of the soil. This can be done using dolomite flour or wood ash. Ash also has a positive effect on the normal development of culture. For planting choose light, fertile and moderately drained land. Partial shade is perfect. Good predecessors of the plant are various varieties of cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes. Weeds should be removed before sowing. The site should be dug up and flavored with top dressing in the fall. Among them are organic at the rate of 6 kg per square meter, superphosphate in the amount of 35 grams and potassium chloride about 20 grams. In the spring, do not forget about the complex, which has a lot of potassium. After planting the beans, you need to sprinkle the holes with humus. The culture grows at a stable temperature of + 20 – +25 degrees. The first shoots should be expected in 10 days. When sowing, it is recommended to maintain a distance of 10 cm between plants. After germination, it is permissible to transplant or thin out.
Care
Two mandatory items for proper care of your favorite crop are watering and fertilizing. Regular watering is necessary in order to be able to collect many selected and fleshy pods in the future. It is desirable to add a special nutritious infusion to the water. It is easy to prepare it yourself. To do this, the barrel is half filled with weeds, water is poured into it. After a week, you need to dilute 1 liter of liquid in 1 bucket of water.
This infusion is very good for watering bean plantations. If the plants lack moisture, the side shoots will not fully develop, and the fruits will be of poor quality. Do not forget about loosening the earth and cleaning weeds. From time to time it will be useful to feed plantings with a nutritious infusion. The flowering period falls on the 40th day from the moment the sprouts appear. At the same time, the appearance of ovaries should be expected after 20 days, and after 10 days, the crop itself begins to appear. During the growing season of the crop, the application of mineral fertilizers is mandatory. Once they must be applied during budding.
Harvesting
Harvesting usually begins from the time when the first fruits appear. If green beans are required, then it is best to harvest after the first fruiting. If you plan to make preparations for the winter, then leave the pods to ripen until autumn. Seed harvesting often begins only in September – October. Green shoulder blades can and should be collected a couple of times throughout the season. The more often the pods are cut, the more ovaries the bush can give.
Inspection of plants can be carried out every 4 to 6 days. It is best to harvest early in the morning when it is still cool. In this case, the blades will retain their freshness for a long time. If you plan to store the blades for the winter, then after harvesting, the pods are cut into pieces, put in bags and placed in the freezer.
Video “Growing”
From the video you will learn how to grow beans.
