Bush beans have long been a popular plant to grow in one's garden. Beans are a great addition to a garden as either a green vegetable or as an important source of protein in the grower's diet.

There are two main types of bush beans you can plant in your garden: bush beans and pole beans.

Bush beans are the type that grow outward in a wider manner and do not need any sort of upright support from a pole or trellis to grow to maturity.

Furthermore, there are 3 types of bush beans out there that you can grow: snap beans (pods can be eaten), green shelling beans (where the beans get eaten green), and finally dry beans (where the beans get dried and re-hydrating before eating).

Seed Sowing Depth: When sowing your bush beans plant each seed about 1 1/2 inches deep and about 3 inches apart. When planting more than one row of beans each row should be spread about 18 to 24 inches apart to let each bean bush adequate room to "bush" out as it grows. The beans will begin growing in approximately 1-2 weeks.

When to Sow: Bush bean seeds do best when sown indoors if you plan on starting when the temperatures are still cold. Otherwise, if you start the plants outside they will need to brought in when the temperatures drop low enough during the night, especially if it's going to freeze.

Generally, if you are growing your bush beans outside wait until mid-April to May when the last frosts are guaranteed to have passed as cold temperatures can kill your beans.

Sowing Indoors/Outdoors: Bush beans can be grown indoors or outdoors, but must be kept in warmer temperatures. If starting the plant inside they will need to be grown in a minimum of about 6 to 7 inches of soil in an adequate sized pot. The pot will need several unobstructed holes so that water can drain from the plant appropriately and a tray underneath to catch excess water inside is also necessary in order to avoid water damage to the surface the plant is resting on.

If growing your bush beans outside, as previously stated, wait until the freezing temperatures have passed to ensure the best growing environment for your bush beans. If bush beans are outside and it is going to get cold or freeze, they will need to be brought inside to be protected and kept a warmer temperatures.

Bush beans can safely be started indoors and taken outdoors, or be grown outside if you wait till the last frosts of the season have passed.

Plant Heights & Widths: Bush beans will end up being about 18 to 24 inches in total size around when they fully mature. That is why it's recommended that each row of plants is planted 18 to 24 inches apart to allow the plant to adequately "bush" out as they grow and mature.

Bean Crop/Descriptions/Colors: Bush beans will be grown to much larger sizes if you add the nutrients of bean inoculants to the soil to help the plant get appropriate nourishment.

Shapes of the beans will vary based on the kind of plant you have planted but can be long, short, round, thin, or broad. There is no "one shape" that fits all bush beans.

This allows you to make almost any kind of bean you wish when you grow your plan.

The average bush bean, however, will end up being about 3" long in size and are generally a leaf-green color. You can also get some varieties that turn a wax-yellow color as well among certain varieties.

Growth Habits: Bush beans have growth habits that are quite easy to adjust to as they do not require any special attention or unique growing conditions other than warmer temperatures (i.e. above freezing).

The beans prefer temperatures over 60 degrees to flourish to their full potential, and a regular supply of water is needed, especially during their first germination and growing phases from seeds to plants. Be sure to provide water on a daily or every-other-day basis. Water them enough so that they are able to be thoroughly saturated, but not too much so that the leaves cannot dry out on sunny days. This is done to avoid the cold, wet environment where over saturation of the plant can lead to the growth of fungi and other molds that will kill off the entire bush bean plant.

Be sure to soak the seeds for at least 30 minutes before planing to ensure that they are able to germinate to their full potential faster.

General Information on Their Uses:

Bush beans are generally produce a crop of edible beans every 10 to 14 days. Their harvest will last usually about 2 weeks for each bush. It's best to plant these bushes in groups every couple of weeks if you wish to have a fresh, consistent supply ready to harvest throughout the entire growing season. Beans can be grown until the frosts hit and may kill off the plants in the fall season.

Bush beans make a great side dish to a meat-and-starch meal or they can be incorporated into anything from bakes to salads or soups. Bush beans are a great type of fresh produce to incorporate into your daily diet to help you get in your green vegetables.

Bush beans are also relatively easy to can and preserve for the long-term so you can enjoy their great flavors and health benefits year-around.

Pests & Diseases:

Bush beans generally happen to be pretty hearty plants and are not susceptible to many diseases, however, if they will have any issues with diseases there are few that are going to be the most pertinent to bush beans.

Some of those include bean mosaic which causes the plant to turn a variety of green-and-off-yellow colors and causes the plant to roll up and the leaves wilt and die, which consequently kills the bean plant as well.

Anthracnose Fungus is another common problem with bush beans and is also known as twig blight when the weather gets cool and damp, oftentimes the plant becomes overly saturated with moisture and it causes the leaves to grow fungi and other growths that end up killing the plant off. Avoid planting in the colder months of the year to avoid your bush beans getting antracnose fungus.

Sometimes there are problems with pests such as aphids, mealybugs, bean beetles, and bean weevils as well.

Harvesting Information & Storage:

Bush beans should be harvested at an immature stage of their growth when the seeds inside have not yet had the opportunity to fully develop. Pods should be firm and about 3" in length when harvested. They should be snapped off the plant at the root and never torn or ripped as that can damage the rest of the bush bean plant and any later harvesting the plant may offer.

Beans should be stored in moisture-proof container in your refrigerator. The beans will toughen as they continue to mature and should be kept fresh for about 4 days. If you will not use the entire bean harvest in 4 days, freezing it is recommended that the beans be frozen as soon as they are harvested.

Beans can also be picked and canned for longer-term storage and use throughout even the winter months.

Edible Uses & Flavors:

Bush beans will have a juicy flavor and come full of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that the human body needs. They are crunchy in texture and flavor and will give of a "crack" when bitten into. Most plants will need a period of 54 days from the time they get planted to the time they are ready to harvest. They will be producing beans every 10 to 14 days depending on the growing conditions they are provided with.

They're stringless and taste delicious, which makes them a world-class favorite among many chefs as they generally build up resistance to a variety of both white and brown molds. Bush beans happen to be a great vegetable to include in many various cuisines from around the world and they get consistently enjoyed by people from all over the world.

Bush beans provide a high source of many vital nutrients including copper, B1 vitamins, chromium, magnesium, calcium, potassium, phosphorous, choline, vitamin A, niacin, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids to name a few great nutrients they provide. As they can almost be deemed on par with other "super foods" that provide great nutrients and health benefits, while also being low in calories, many people flock to them as a vegetable to include in their daily diets.

Bush bean get easily incorporated in many different dishes, which makes getting nutrients easy for the person eating the vegetable. This ensures that they get their nutrients without eating excessive calories. Dieters also enjoy these vegetables as they fill them up without adding on the extra, unwanted pounds.

Try enjoying some of these great flavors by incorporating bush beans into your daily diet for more great nutrients and health benefits.