Climbing Bean Konstantin

Phaseolus vulgaris - Konstantin

An annual plant native to tropical regions of America. It has a climbing stem that can reach a height of 1.5 - 2 meters. The fruit is a pod containing varying numbers of kidney-shaped seeds. They differ in color and size depending on the variety. Bean seeds are poisonous. They contain a substance called phaseolin. This is destroyed by cooking. Therefore, we do not consume uncooked seeds. The flowers are white, pink, yellow or purple and form sparse clusters. It blooms from June to August.

Beans contain a source of amino acids and ascorbic acid.

How to grow 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 ranging 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 support structures. We plant edible varieties next to stakes or create a place for tying them up 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. We plant seeds in permeable nutritious substrate and place them 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 freezing.

  We sow bush varieties with 3-4 seeds in prepared holes about 5 cm deep, spaced approximately 20 cm apart.

  We sow climbing varieties with about 5 seeds in holes 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 add 3 kg of nitrogen per m2, 3-4 kg P2O5/m2 and 11 kg K2O/m2 to the bean location as a single application. If beans are grown in nutrient-rich soil, we don't need to apply fertilizers at all.

• The most serious disease of beans is anthracnose. Brown, 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 involves using chemical preparations - fungicides and disposing of post-harvest residues.

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

  The seed corn maggot is a fly whose larvae attack germinating cotyledons and the growing tip of the plant while still in the soil, especially in 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 damage. Suitable protection is to place shelled seeds in the freezer (at a temperature of -10°C, the beetles die within 10-14 days, at -17°C within 8 hours).

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

  For culinary use, we harvest still unripe pods which, when slightly bent, will snap.