Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Planning Your Bean Planting
• Method 2 of 3: Planning your pea planting
• Method 3 of 3: Planting beans and peas
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need

Beans and peas are relatively easy to grow, making them a good choice for a budding gardener or new plot. These legumes also have a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, meaning they actually improve soil nutrition.Follow the directions on how to grow beans or peas - then eat them straight off the climbing stem to enjoy the flavor!

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Planning Your Bean Planting

1. 1 Pick a good site. Beans usually require a sunny spot with a minimum of 6 hours of sunshine per day. Certain beans that have traditionally been grown in cornfields using the three sisters method (legumes weave around the stems of pumpkin corn at the base) are more shade tolerant and will grow in ambient sunlight or where less than 6 hours of light a day.
   • Make a sun chart to determine which parts of the yard would be more suitable for the beans.
2. 2 Choose a bean variety that suits your tastes and location. Each variety will have different requirements for light, space, planting and harvesting, not to mention different aromas. One beans (such as asparagus) are grown to be eaten whole raw, while others must be husked and dried for later use in cooking. There are two main categories of beans:
   • Stake beans grow tall and should be placed on the wire rack. Not only is it pleasant to look at, but it also takes up a lot of vertical space.
   • Bush beans take up little space and require no support. Since this variety does not create a strong shade, it can be easily planted among other plants.

Method 2 of 3: Planning your pea planting

1. 1 Pick a good site. Although peas usually require a location that receives at least 6 hours of sunshine per day, they prefer a cooler climate. If you live in a hot region, plant peas in an area that is in partial shade, or in the shade during the hottest hours. A tree or hedge shade is ideal because the growing leaves provide more shade as the season gets hotter.
   • Make a solar chart to determine which parts of your garden will be suitable for growing peas.
2. 2 Choose a pea variety that suits your tastes and location. Each variety will have different requirements for light, space, planting and harvesting, not to mention different aromas. What's more, some varieties grow tall, so they need to have a support system (which can be a great way to use vertical space), while others are more compact (and won't create much shade on other parts of the garden). There are three main categories of peas:
   • English (aka vegetable) peas are grown only because of the peas, they must be husked after harvest. There are tall and undersized varieties.
   • Snow peas (aka sugar peas) grow sweet, with flat pods and seeds. Peas do not need to be husked as they are edible whole, but they taste best when they are young. There are tall and undersized varieties.
   • Hulled peas are also grown for both peas and pods, but they are thicker than sugar peas and look more like beans. There are only tall varieties.

Method 3 of 3: Planting beans and peas

1. 1 Decide how many plants you want to grow. This will be determined based on the spacing requirements for the variety you have selected. If you plan to plant in rows, remember to leave enough space between them for easy access, especially if you have chosen a tall variety.
2. 2 Purchase seeds. Unlike many other types of seeds, relatively fresh beans and peas are needed. Fresh beans or peas purchased from farmers will germinate well, while those purchased from the supermarket may grow, but the varieties listed may not germinate. Alternatively, you can buy dried seeds while they are not very old (check the date on the package).Dried beans from the supermarket might work, but it's best to act organically (make sure the seeds haven't been processed to prevent sprouting). Frozen or canned beans and peas are useless.
   • Check dried beans first. Soak some bean seeds in water, place them on a damp paper towel and fold. Keep the towel damp (spray it with water about once a day) and open it every two to three days to look at the seeds. If small sprouts are protruding from the split beans, this is a good sign and means the seeds are healthy and should be planted (In fact, plant sprouted seeds first!). If the seeds don't germinate, give them a couple more days, and if nothing happens after that, look for other seeds. If the beans become moldy, you can try germinating the seeds again using less water, but you probably need different seeds.
3. 3 Prepare the soil. Either pour the soil into a suitable container (unfertilized soil from any store works well) or dig up the soil in the area where you want to plant. You will need 15 cm of loose, rich soil. If the soil is mostly clay or sandy, then it is better to plant peas in a pot or buy compost, mix with the top layer of soil that has been dug up - approximately 50/50 - and pour everything back, thus forming a small mound.
   • Be careful with fertilizers. Remember that peas and beans produce nitrogen on their own. If you add too much nitrogen, the climbing stem will be large and the yield of beans and peas will be small.
4. 4 Consider boarding at different times. If you plan to grow just a few plants, this won't be a problem, but if you plant 15 plants, you might be overwhelmed when it's time to harvest the entire crop. Moreover, some pea / bean varieties are “definite”, which means that they will bloom and produce the entire crop at once. They will give one big harvest, after which they will die. Another type is "undefined". They will release flowers and produce pods for as long as they grow (several weeks to several months). You will not receive all the pods at one time - usually no more than 5-6 ripe pods per plant in a couple of days, but you will receive them over a long period of time.
   • Assuming you will be growing indeterminate varieties, two plants will usually be enough for one person (for a side dish) every few days. Use this to figure out how many plants to grow and how often you want to eat peas / beans and how many people you will feed.
   • You can either make good food from certain varieties, or preserve them by drying, canning, salting, and so on.
5. 5 Sow seeds. Make a hole in the soil with your finger 2.5 to 5 cm deep, then place the seeds in the hole. Cover the top with soil and press down slightly (to ensure contact with the soil, which is critical for germination) and water lightly (water carefully to avoid opening the seeds). For example, pour water into your hands and spray it over the planting site of each seed.
   • Although planting times vary by cultivar, beans are usually planted in the spring one to two weeks before the last hard frost. Monitor soil temperature; the signal for landing will be a temperature of 16 ºС. Keep in mind that colored seeds are more likely to germinate in cold soil than white seeds.
   • Peas are usually planted 6 to 8 weeks before the last bitter frost (soil temperature 10 ° C or higher). Some peas (sugar or hulled peas) like cold temperatures (spring and fall in most climates). Again, peas have different needs depending on the variety.
     • However, in regions with a warm climate (like San Francisco), peas are planted without problems in February.Such peas bear fruit in late May and early June, after which they wither. In this case, you can plant peas again in September-October, while it is still warm, the crop can be harvested in December-February.
   • If you buy seeds in a package for planting, then the package will say that you first need to plant more than you need, and then thin out. But remember, if you thin out enough (or do it too soon), plants will end up competing for nutrients, stalling or even dying.
   • Alternatively, you can immediately plant the seeds at the same distance from each other as they will be when they grow up. Some will not germinate, so plant a few in each area to make sure you plant enough. For example, if the seeds need to be spaced about 15 cm apart, then plant about 3 seeds every 15 cm.Do not plant them too close to each other, because if all the seeds germinate, it will be difficult to pull out unnecessary ones without damaging the seedling. which you want to keep.
   • If you are planning to plant a large patch of peas or beans, this can be very tiring. Consider using a wheeled planter (as shown) or a planter that is attached to the rear of the tractor.
     
     
   • Depending on the variety and whether you planted fresh, dried, or pre-germinated seeds, expect the first shoots in 2-10 days.
6. 6 Make a support. Most varieties of peas and beans are climbing plants. So they need something to hang onto: a fence, a net stretched between two sticks, separate sticks for each plant, or a wigwam (made of 3-4 bamboo poles tied together at the top). When planting seeds, it is better that the support is already ready. Supports can also help mark seed locations.
   • If you want to grow peas or beans along a mesh fence - especially if it's on the border with a neighbor - make sure you don't mind losing the crop that will be on the other side of the fence. If the fence blocks the sunlight, then it is better not to use it as a support; the plants grow in the direction of sunlight and can bring a little crop to your side.
7. 7 Plan a watering schedule for your plants. Water them daily, or more often if the plants are dry. But remember that too much water is harmful, as well as too little. To test the soil, poke your finger into the ground. If your finger is wet / dirty, you are watering too much, so let it dry out a bit.
   • Hose with a spray or watering can. Do not point the hose directly over the seeds; they will either wash off or drown.
8. 8 As soon as the sprouts reach 3-5 cm. high, attach them to a surface (sticks, nets, whatever). If you let them fall, they a) can rot; b) will intertwine with each other and it will be difficult to separate them from each other without breaking. Watch them and encourage them to grow by watering each day and tie them to a support. They are growing fast!
   • During this time, they can withstand more direct watering, but still do not point the hose directly at them.
9. 9 Harvest the pea shoots if you like. The soft pea shoots are delicious both raw and cooked. When the peas reach 10-15 cm in height, you can cut off the top two “tiers” of leaves and bring them to the kitchen. Cut off nothing more than this; the stem becomes fibrous as it grows and it is necessary to cut off the top part where it is still soft. The plant will grow back and you should be able to get several harvests of greenery.
10. 10 Watch their growth. Flowers will appear a couple of weeks after the sprouts have emerged. The flowers of the beans and peas are different in color (white, pink, and purple), so you can plant some in the garden to keep it beautiful. When the flowers are dry, the pea / bean pods will start growing from the same spot.
11. 11 Harvest the pods. If the variety has edible pods, pluck them and eat when they are thick enough. If the pods are inedible, wait until they become round (you can see small bumps in the peas / beans). Take the pods, open and use the peas / beans inside.
    • Some varieties, such as sugar peas, taste better when picked young.
    • Pluck the pods the same day you are going to use and, if possible, just before you use them. As soon as you pluck the pod, the aroma starts to fade.
    • Always pluck the pods before they get too old. The taste of one pod that is too large will tell you why: although these pods are not harmful to eat, they are not very tasty. The structure of the pod is rough and firm and it loses its sweetness.
12. 12 Let a few pods fully ripen. Provided that you like the variety, you can use the peas for planting next year (see tips).

Tips

• It should be noted that farmers water the plants (70 ml of water per plant) every two days.
• If you have too many ripe pods, wait for some to really ripen (the stem starts to dry out or the pod bursts), collect and open them, and then place the seeds in a cool, dry place to allow them to dry. Plant these seeds next year!
• Consider planting companions to improve soil and crop health.
• A good plan is to find a nursery or seed shop near you and ask a specialist for advice. Local nurseries will often know a thing or two about the local climate, soil that are not found in general gardening books, and will be able to recommend planting times and varieties that are appropriate for your area.

Warnings

• If you see something small or brown on peas (aphids), tiny white flies (whiteflies) or something like white fluff (another type of whitefly) under the leaves, at least wash them off with soap and water. If they are all on the same branch, then cut it off and discard, then water all other branches; if they are found on the entire plant, pluck it and discard it. Different plants have different vulnerabilities, so check your gardening books for other diseases and pests that affect peas and beans.
• Most varieties of peas or beans are susceptible to powdery mildew or other pests. If you see a white film or dust on multiple leaves, cut off the affected plant, even if it has peas or flowers, and discard. Do not compost it or leave it near other plants. You can stop the infection early and deal with it, but if most of the plants are infected, then pluck everything and discard - then carefully inspect all the plants that were near the infected one. If you find infestations, then next year do not plant peas or tomatoes in this soil; the plants will be infected from the start. If you have not experienced this, then the leaves and stems will begin to dry out and darken (similar to when plants die from heat or old age), which will lead to rather rapid death (and the spread of powdery mildew to neighboring plants).
  • With early signs of the disease, you need to dilute the water with milk powder (9: 1) and spray the plant with the solution once every two weeks. This will neutralize the disease in the early stages and prevent further infection. A mild apple cider vinegar solution can be alternated with a mild baking soda solution. You will most likely be able to contain the infection before it progresses to the late stage.
• Do not grow the same crop in the same area, change crops throughout the garden to prevent soil diseases.

What do you need

• Soil (or potted soil)
• Pea / Bean Seeds
• Something they can curl around, such as a pole, net, or fence
• Easy watering, such as with a hose or spray can