The Best Types Of Garden Beans To Grow In The South

It’s hardly a meal in the South without green beans on the table! Fortunately, the common garden bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is one of the easiest vegetables to grow, even if it’s your first garden. Sometimes called snap beans, garden beans are inexpensive seeds and fast growers, with some types ready in as little as 50 days. They’ll produce bumper crops so you’ll have plenty of green beans to cook fresh, freeze or pickle. With top picks fromAll-American Selections (AAS), which trials seed performance for home gardeners,  Johnny’s Selected Seeds, extension services at Clemson University, North Carolina State University, Louisiana State University, University of Georgia, and University of Kentucky, here are the best types of beans to grow in the South:

It mostly depends on your garden’s size, and you even can plant some types in containers on your deck or patio if you’re short on space. Many gardeners plant both types. The basic types of garden beans include bush beans, which have a compact form so they can be planted in either beds or containers. They produce for about three weeks. Pole beans have a vining habit and need supported with a trellis or netting. They produce for about six to eight weeks.

Plant bean seeds directly in the ground because they don’t transplant well. Choose a spot in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight per day), and wait until after the last expected frost in your area. Cool, wet conditions will cause seeds to rot if you plant them too soon;wait until soil temperatures are in the 60s (find your soil temperaturehere). You also can sow seeds every two weeks for a continuous harvest.

Plant seeds about an inch deep and spaced 2 to 4 inches