Growing bush beans in North Texas is a great way to enjoy fresh, homegrown produce with minimal effort. These compact plants thrive in our region’s warm climate, producing good harvests even in small spaces.
Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting out, bush beans are an excellence choice for North Texas gardens, offering heat-tolerance and adaptability to a variety of growing conditions. With a little planning and care, you can enjoy delicious beans throughout the growing season.
What are bush beans?
Bush beans are a type of green bean that grows in a compact, bushy form, reaching about 1 to 2 feet tall. Unlike pole beans, they do not require trellises or supports, making them a space-efficient and low-maintenance choice for gardeners. With a fast maturation time of about 50 to 60 days, they’re ideal for small gardens, container gardening, and succession planting.
Bush beans are versatile, offering varieties for fresh eating, shelling, or drying. They produce a continuous harvest if picked regularly and contribute to soil health by fixing nitrogen, making them a valuable addition to any garden.
When to plant
Bush beans should be sown directly in the garden when daytime soil temperatures average at least 60 degrees. (I do not recommend starting bean seeds indoors.)
Here in North Texas, we see average soil temperatures of 60 degrees starting in early March, but I recommend waiting to plant until the last week in March when daytime soil temps average 65 degrees.
This end of March planting window is early enough so that plants establish themselves before summer’s high heat arrives, but late enough so that warmer soil temperatures speed up germination.
Where to plant
Bush beans don’t take up much space, so they are a good vegetable for home gardens.
- Choose a site that gets at least 6 hours of direct sun. Like most summer vegetables, bush beans will perform better when they get full sun (direct sun all day).
- If you don’t have a location that gets full sun, plant where the bush beans will get direct sun all morning and early afternoon with shade in the late afternoon and early evening.
- Also, try to avoid planting bush beans in the same place beans were growing the year prior. This will help prevent disease issues.
How to prepare soil for planting
Bush beans grow best in soil that drains well. Because much of North Texas has heavy clay soil, I recommend growing bush beans in raised beds or amending ground soil before planting with high quality compost from a nursery (not a home improvement store) and expanded shale, a garden product specifically designed to break up heavy clay.
If you have sandy soil, amend with high-quality compost before sowing seeds. Compost will help sandy soil to retain moisture and also helps to balance pH levels.
How to sow bush bean seeds
Sow bush bean seeds two inches apart directly into the garden with a seed depth of one inch. (See ‘When to Plant’ above for timing.)
For a continuous supply of beans, you can practice “succession sowing”, and sow bush bean seeds every 2-3 weeks until May 1st. (If you plant later than May 1st, it will be too hot for seed pods to form.)
Care and maintenance tips for a bountiful harvest
- In addition to rotating where you plant bush beans, you can prevent most disease problems by not overhead
watering . Drip irrigation or hand-watering is best. - Though optional, inoculants encourage the formation of high-nitrogen nodules on plants for more fertile soil, bigger plants, and higher yields. It’s easy to use: just shake or stir with seeds before planting.
- Mulch plants once they are 4-6 inches high with shredded hardwood mulch to a depth of three inches. This will conserve soil moisture, prevent disease, and stabilize soil temperatures.
How to harvest bush beans
Pick beans when they reach a usable size, and pick frequently to encourage continued production. Avoid leaving bean pods on plants for too long – this will keep them tender.
To store harvested beans, keep them unwashed in a plastic bag or container inside the crisper drawer of your fridge, where they can last for about a week. For longer storage, blanch and freeze.
The best bush bean varieties for North Texas
When shopping for bush bean seeds, look for varieties described as ‘early’ (fast to mature) and ‘heat-tolerant’.
Snap Beans
Top snap beans for North Texas include Blue Lake 274 for its tender pods, Contender for early harvests, and Provider, known for heat tolerance and disease resistance.
Shell beans
For shell beans, French Flageolet and Cranberry are excellent choices, while Black Turtle and Pinto are reliable dry bean options.
Specialty beans
Specialty varieties like the purple-streaked Dragon Tongue and vibrant Royal Burgundy add unique color and flavor to your harvest.
Ready to give them a try?
Bush beans are a simple and satisfying crop to grow in North Texas, offering fresh, delicious harvests with minimal effort.
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