Whether you garden in the ground, in raised beds, on the windowsill, or anywhere else, green beans are a great addition or re-addition to your plant family. Read on for simple, straightforward specifics about growing green beans.
Although I cover green beans in this section, most information also applies to other types of garden beans such as wax and fava beans.
Jump to:
Family | Container Size | Good Companions | Bad Companions | Soil Conditions | Germination | Sun | Water | Temperature Range | Height | Lifespan | Reproduction | Yield Per Plant | Ingestibility | Further Reading
What Family Do Green Beans Belong To?
Green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) belong to the Fabaceae family, also known as the legume family.
Some of its relatives include peas, peanuts, and fenugreek.
What Size Container Should I Use for Growing Green Beans?
The minimum container depth recommended for green beans is 4 inches.
Read more in our Choosing the Right Planter for Your Container Garden article here.
What Are Good Companion Plants for Green Beans?
Some of green beans' best companions are as follows:
- Thyme
- Artichoke
- Carrot
- Celery
- Corn
- Cucumber
- Eggplant
- Tomatillo
- Pea
- Radish
- Potato
- Strawberry
- Blackberry
- Squash
- Quinoa
- Amaranth
- Sorghum
- Orach
- Oats
- For bush beans only, chard and beets are good companions that are mutually beneficial. The bush beans and beets (or chard) encourage each other's growth.
What Are Bad Companion Plants for Green Beans?
Green beans are not compatible with every plant. Some things to avoid planting with green beans are as follows:
- Garlic
- Onion
- Chives
- Leek
- Tomato
- Peppers such as bell pepper and jalapeño
- For pole beans only, chard and beets are bad companions that are mutually harmful. The pole beans and beets (or chard) stunt each other's growth.
What Soil Conditions Do Green Beans Need?
Green beans prefer well-draining soil with a neutral or slightly acidic pH.
How Long Do Green Beans Take to Germinate?
Green beans take 5-14 days to germinate at a temperature of 55-90°F.
How Much Sun Do Green Beans Need?
Green beans can grow in full sun to part shade.
In other words, they grow fastest in full sun. They will still grow in dappled shade or part shade, just at a slower rate.
Green beans that are grown in part shade prefer morning shade and afternoon sun.
Sun recommendations can vary by region, and green beans grown in hot areas or in warmer conditions than the ideal temperature range noted below may need more shade.
How Much Water Do Green Beans Need?
Green beans need 1 inch of water per week.
Be sure to water green beans at the base of the plant, not overhead. This is good practice for most plants, but it is especially important for legumes.
What Is the Ideal Temperature Range for Growing Green Beans?
Green beans grow fastest in temperatures of 60-80°F.
This is their ideal temperature range. Although they will grow in temperatures both cooler and warmer than this range, growth could be slower or even stunted.
Minimum and maximum temperatures will vary by variety. Some green bean varieties are bred for later harvests and others for warmer climates.
How Tall Do Green Beans Get?
The average height of bush beans is 3-6 feet.
The average height of pole beans is 10-15 feet.
Are Green Beans Annual, Biennial, or Perennial?
Green beans are annual vegetables, meaning that they start and end their lives in the same year.
How Do Green Beans Reproduce?
Green beans reproduce by seed or, put another way, by bean. The beans that we eat are the seeds of the plant.
How Many Green Beans Are Produced Per Plant?
For green beans, how many are produced per plant (also called the yield) largely depends on the type of bean and, at times, the variety.
Most bush beans produce about half a pound of beans per plant. This equates to about 20 beans per plant.
Most pole beans yield about 1 pound of beans per plant. This equates to about 40 beans per plant.
For both bush and pole beans, there are typically 6 beans per pod.
Can Green Beans Be Ingested?
Green bean pods and beans are edible.
Green beans and their plants do not have any known use in herbal preparations.
There are no known safety concerns associated with ingesting green beans.
Further Reading
This article is intended as a quick-reference guide for gardeners. Consult your seed packet or seed catalog for variety-specific information.
When you have a bumper crop of green beans rolling in, you may not have enough time for long, complicated recipes or many-step preservation procedures. Check out my article on quick, simple uses for green beans here!
Green beans are featured in these Plant to Plate articles: