Sowing and Growing French Beans

French beans, also known as green beans, belong to the legume family. Unlike peas and broad beans, for example, they are eaten whole, i.e. with skin. There are bush beans, grow on bushy plants and grow about 40 cm tall and climbing green bean varieties. These grow about 2 metres tall and need a climbing aid.

French beans grown in your own garden are often crunchier and tastier than those from the grocery store.

Growing your own French beans from seeds

There are many varieties of French beans, also called green beans. Besides differences in, for instance, taste, colour and firmness, there is another important difference, namely the way they are grown. There are varieties that stay low and are also called bush beans. There are also varieties that grow very long and along a climbing support, such as bamboo canes, called snapbean pole for example.

Sowing and planting French beans

From mid-May to early July, sowing can be done in the open ground. It is often said to do this after Ice Saints. Beans love heat, so only sow when no more frost is forecasted.

Sow the beans about 2 to 3 cm deep. You can either sow  in a row or individually. For the first one, keep a row distance of 50 cm and a sowing distance of 8 cm in the row. Or you can make small holes in the soil, with a distance of about 45 X 45 cm and put 3 to 4 beans in each hole.

For the climbing variety, it is convenient to first place sticks spaced 50 cm apart. Around each stick sow 4 to 5 beans with a depth of about 4 cm.

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Position and soil

French beans love heat, so choose a sunny spot. The soil should also be warm, so don't sow too early. In addition, the soil should not be too acidic and too wet.

How to care of your French beans plants

Beans require little care. Regular watering, especially during the flowering period, is sufficient. Keep the soil around the plant free of weeds.

When and how to harvest French beans?

Pick the beans when they are still young, when they are juiciest and have few strings.  When you can harvest depends on when sown, the type of bean and the weather.

How to preserve French beans

It is best to eat green beans right away, they will be deliciously crispy. Store them in a cool place, but preferably not in the fridge. They will keep for about 4 days, but they will become limp. Freezing beans is possible, but do blanch them first and they will become limp. You can also preserve beans by canning them.

Are French beans healthy?

French or green beans are healthy. They contain a lot of vitamins, minerals and fiber and only a few calories.

French beans seeds in our collection

We have different types of green bean seeds in our range. Think, for example, of the early, dark green ’Kylian’, the purple ’Blauhilde’ or the climbing green bean ’Cobra’, which can grow up to 20 cm long.

Tips for growing French beans

• Harvest the beans on time, they will still be tender.
• Regular harvesting stimulates the production of new beans.

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