Different types of dried beans in a mix.

Beans

Beans are an easy-to-grow legume and thrive in almost any climate. They can be harvested and eaten right away or be dried and stored, providing nutritious protein for your family throughout the year. Read our guides down below for more information on how to plant beans, cultivars to select, when and how to harvest, and other tips from our experts. Happy gardening!

Growing a Three Sisters Garden: Beans, Corn, and Squash

A horizontal close up of a yellow squash, a bunch of yellow pole beans, a small white squash and an ear of Indian corn grouped together on a rustic wooden table.

Discover the rich history of the three sisters garden, a sustainable planting method rooted in Native American traditions. Learn how to cultivate corn, beans, and squash together to harness their companion planting benefits for a bountiful harvest. Explore the synergy of this agricultural technique.

How to Identify and Control Mexican Bean Beetles

A close up horizontal image of an orange and black Mexican bean beetle (Epilachna varivestis) devouring foliage.

Mexican bean beetles may look like ladybugs, but these orange-red, polka-dotted pests can plague bean plants in the home garden. They do the most harm to foliage, especially in late summer. In this guide, you’ll learn to identify, control, and prevent this top bean plant foe – whether larval or adult.

How to Plant and Grow Bush Beans

A close up of a bush bean plant growing in the garden, ready for harvest, pictured in sunshine.

Are you ready to harvest baskets full of homegrown bush beans, from your own backyard? These summer vegetables are easy to grow and so delicious when they are picked fresh from the garden. Read on to learn everything you need to know about growing your own bush beans, from sowing seeds all the way to harvest time.

17 of the Best Types of Dry and Shelling Beans

A close up horizontal image of a pile of different varieties of dried beans.

Growing dry beans can help fill a pantry with winter staples, and many varieties can be enjoyed for shelling as well. Since a wide array of these legumes simply can’t be found at a market, growing them yourself opens the door to a world of flavor. Keep reading to discover 17 of the best shelling and dry bean cultivars.

15 of the Best Types of Pole Beans

A close up horizontal image of an assorted mix of freshly harvested pole beans set on a rustic wooden table.

When you grow the right pole bean cultivars, you’ll get a plentiful harvest and a giant helping of flavor. With pods of different colors and sizes, and varieties matched to different season lengths, it helps to carefully choose your seeds before you sow. Keep reading to discover 15 of the best types of pole beans.

How to Plant and Grow Pole Beans

A close up horizontal image of pole beans growing on wooden support pictured in bright sunshine on a blue sky background.

Pole beans provide a delicious and bountiful harvest when planted in the summer vegetable garden. Grown up trellises or stakes, this vertical crop is fun to sow, easy to pick, and can help maximize valuable garden real estate. Read more now to get the lowdown on planting and growing these lofty legumes.

Tips for Growing Green Beans in Fall

A close up horizontal image of a hand from the left of the frame picking green beans from the garden.

You can grow green beans to harvest in autumn, and the tips from our guide will improve your odds of success. Fall-grown beans need more time to grow, protection from harsh temperatures, and a carefully-selected planting site. Learn to grow a bumper crop of fresh beans for tailgates and fall festivals in this guide.

How to Control Beetles on Green Bean Plants

A close up horizontal image of green beans growing in the garden pictured on a soft focus background.

From bean leaf beetles to cucumber beetles, many insects will attack green beans. There are many ways to control these pests organically, and protect your plants from the damage they cause. Row covers and neem oil are the heavy hitters, perfect to include in your organic arsenal for keeping pests at bay. Read more now.

31 of the Best Companion Plants for Beans

A horizontal image of bean plants growing up trellis attached to a brick wall with marigold flowers growing at the base of the vines.

Beans are a no-brainer garden crop, easily providing a bountiful harvest. But you might wonder which companion plants can help this legume to repel pests, offer structural support, keep weeds at bay, improve the soil, or increase your yield. Read more now to discover 31 of the best plant partnerships for beans.

7 of the Best Types of Fava Beans

A close up horizontal image of a dried fava beans on a ceramic plate spilling onto a wooden surface, pictured in bright sunshine.

When you grow fava beans at home, you have a wealth of options. Some types are super cold-hardy, while others are well-adapted to short growing seasons. Some excel when used as a cover crop – and all of them are fabulous in the kitchen. Keep reading to discover 7 of the best types of favas you can grow in the garden.

How to Plant and Grow Fava Beans

A close up horizontal image of freshly shelled fava beans on a dark wooden surface with empty pods scattered around and full ones in a wicker basket.

Fava beans are a superb addition to the home garden, and they can be grown in spring or winter as nitrogen fixers or as a cool-weather crop. Also called broad beans, these legumes make excellent companion plants and bear tasty, meaty beans with endless uses. Keep reading to learn more about growing fava beans.

13 Different Types of Edible Beans for the Garden

A close up horizontal image of different types of beans set in a wooden bowl.

When growing beans at home, there are different types to try suited to almost every garden and palate. Some are perfect as cool-weather crops, while others hold up nicely to drought. Whether for fresh eating or dry storage, you have a wealth of options. Keep reading to learn about 13 different types of edible beans.

How to Plant and Grow Pinto Beans

A close up horizontal image of a bag of pinto beans spilling out on to a wooden surface.

Growing your own pinto beans is a low-stress, nutritious means of becoming more self-sufficient as a gardener! Whether you aim to live off the grid, or you just want access to some on-the-house ingredients for making bean burritos, the pinto bean is the legume that’ll get you there. Learn how to grow them in this guide.

What’s the Difference Between Butter Beans and Limas?

A close up horizontal image of pods of lima beans growing on a bush in the garden.

Wondering about the difference between limas and butter beans? They’re the same type of legume, though Southerners usually call them butter beans and cook them with pork. To successfully grow either one in your garden, choosing the type that grows well in your region and space is more important than what you call them.

13 of the Best Lima and Butter Bean Cultivars to Grow in Your Garden

A close up horizontal image of a pile of lima and butterbeans.

From baby limas to towering ‘King of the Garden,’ you’ll find 13 of the best butter bean and lima bean cultivars to grow in your garden right here. Some are bush varieties, others top 10 feet tall and need support. A few picks are heirloom standouts, and some produce extra early for those with short growing seasons.

How to Grow Lima and Butter Beans in the Garden

A close up horizontal image of a pile of freshly harvested lima beans.

Homegrown lima beans or butter beans are tastier than any you could buy in a store. This guide explains how to grow baby or large limas in your garden, and gives harvest and storage tips, too. Plant a bumper crop of bush or vine cultivars, and cook or freeze the harvest for side dishes, hummus, or casseroles

Harvesting Snap Beans: When and How to Pick Them

A close up horizontal image of a wicker basket filled with freshly harvested green beans in a wicker basket set on the ground in the garden.

Beans are an easy veggie to grow in the garden, even for beginners. However, it’s important to harvest this summer staple at the right size so you get the most bang for your buck, and the best texture. Read more now to learn our easy techniques for picking fresh snap beans, as well as the best time to harvest them.

How to Grow Black-Eyed Peas

A close up horizontal image of Vigna unguiculata aka black-eyed peas growing in the garden, pictured in light sunshine on a green soft focus background.

Bring the New Year’s good luck tradition into your garden when you grow black-eyed peas. These tasty legumes condition the soil, and thrive in average dirt, high temperatures, and even drought, making them low labor additions to the summer garden. Learn how to grow your own black-eyed peas in this guide. Read more now.

35 of the Best Bush Bean Varieties

A close up of various different colored bush beans set on a hessian surface, there are green, purple, and yellow varieties.

Ready for a tour of 35 of the best bush bean varieties? Whether you are growing in planters, worried about bean diseases, or dealing with unusually hot or cool summer conditions, there’s a variety for every garden. Discover the best classic snap, stringless, filet, wax, purple, and Romano bush varieties. Read more now.

Plant Green Beans and You’ll Feel like a Gardening Pro

A large number of freshly picked green beans have been placed into a pile on an old, rustic looking table. The vegetables are topped with a few of the leaves and flowers of the plant they were picked from.

Green beans are the way to go if you need a win this garden season. They are quick to germinate and, depending on the variety, mature within two months. This means you can sow seeds repeatedly, well into the growing season, for multiple harvests. Want to learn how to grow your own? Read more now on Gardener’s Path.