Bush bean Novores

Phaseolus vulgaris var. nanus - Novores

Dwarf or French beans - these are bush beans. They are easy to grow and have a distinctive delicate flavor. Plants reach a height of approximately 50 cm and don't need support. They are also perfect for balcony containers. We can eat them cooked or fresh "raw" straight off the plant. Their green, yellow, and speckled pods taste great not only as a side dish, but also in salads, soups, pickled, or with fried bacon.

How to Grow Bush Beans

• This is a heat-loving plant, so we plant it in a sunny location that is protected from wind. During flowering, beans need temperatures between 20-25 degrees Celsius. Beans require regular watering, the soil must not dry out, but it must not be waterlogged either! All types of beans need support. Ornamental varieties will look great on pergolas, fences, or in containers with climbing structures. We plant edible varieties near stakes or create a place for tying them with string. We loosen the soil around the plant and keep it weed-free. Regular harvesting of pods encourages the formation of more fruit.

• We sow seeds in March. Plant seeds in permeable nutrient-rich substrate and place in a bright location. Beans require warmth for germination, so a greenhouse or cold frame is suitable. We sow beans at their final location after May 15th, when there is no risk of frost.

  We sow bush varieties 3-4 seeds per prepared hole approximately 5 cm deep, spaced about 20 cm apart.

  We sow climbing varieties about 5 seeds per hole 5 cm deep and, depending on the type of support, up to a meter apart.

• Light sandy-loam soils with plenty of soil microorganisms and nutrients are suitable. Ideal pH around 6.5.

• We use NPK fertilizers with a low nitrogen ratio. In spring, it is recommended to apply 3 kg nitrogen per m2, 3-4 kg P2O5/m2 and 11 kg K2O/m2 as a single application. If beans are grown in nutrient-rich soil, fertilizers may not need to be applied at all.

• The most serious bean disease is anthracnose. Browning, enlarging spots appear on young pods, the mycelium penetrates inside the pod and attacks the seeds, forming yellow-brown to red-brown spots on them. Treatment is carried out with chemical preparations - fungicides and removal of post-harvest residues.

  Beans are also attacked by other fungal or bacterial infections, such as gray mold, brown leaf spot, bacterial blight, bean rust and others.

  The seedcorn maggot is a fly whose larvae attack germinating cotyledons and the growing tip of the plant while still in the soil, especially during cooler, wet weather. Suitable protection is seed treatment with insecticides.

  A small, dark beetle - the bean weevil attacks seeds in which it overwinters. This leads to crop degradation. Suitable protection is to place shelled seeds in the freezer (at –10 °C the beetles die in 10-14 days, at –17 °C in just 8 hours).

• We harvest for grain when the pods are drying and the seeds are firm, well-ripened and fully colored.

  For culinary use, we harvest immature pods that will snap when gently bent.