Grow a Row of Beans

Whether you start them indoors or sow them directly in the garden, here's how to grow a healthy crop of French and runner beans.

Excerpted from How to Grow Practically Everything
Filed under: Vegetables, How To

Water and Wait

Beans are thirsty, so you need to water them often, especially when they start flowering. If the plants are too dry, the blooms will drop off and you will lose the crop. Harvest the pods when they are young and tender, before you can see the beans swelling inside.

Top Tip: Blast Off Aphids

Sap-sucking aphids cause a lot of damage to plants, and they love tender bean tips. A good way to tackle them that doesn't require chemicals is to blast them off with a jet of water. A hand mister is also useful during hot weather because a fine spray on the flowers can improve pollination.