Green beans, also known as string beans, snap beans, or French beans, are a type of legume commonly consumed in daily life. Green beans have a wide adaptability, a short production cycle, and relatively high planting benefits. So when is the best time to plant green beans? What are the planting techniques? Let's find out.
When is the Best Time to Plant Green Beans?
The optimal planting time for green beans is generally late March in spring and late August to mid-September in autumn. Of course, the specific planting time varies depending on the climate in different regions. It is best to determine the sowing period reasonably based on local climate conditions and planting conditions.
Planting Techniques for Green Beans:
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Site Selection: Green beans are best cultivated in sandy loam soil with deep soil layers, good drainage, and good permeability. After selecting the site, plow the land, dig it deeply, and clean the surface weeds. Combine with tillage work and apply fully decomposed organic fertilizer as base fertilizer.
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Seed Treatment: Before sowing, expose the seeds to sunlight for 2-3 consecutive days and then soak them in a solution of 50% mancozeb or 0.3% formalin or 0.08% alum solution for about 20-30 minutes. Then rinse the seeds repeatedly with clean water. After the seeds sprout, they can be sown.
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Sowing Method: Mechanical precision sowing is often used, with double rows of seedlings on the ridge for three-row cultivation and four-row seedlings on high ridges for high-ridge cultivation. The soil should be pressed immediately after sowing, and the sowing depth should be 3-4 centimeters.
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Proper Planting Density: The planting density should be determined according to the characteristics of the variety and local planting conditions. Generally, the density for early-maturing upright varieties is 18,000-22,000 plants per hectare, and for late-maturing sprawling varieties, it is 12,000-15,000 plants per hectare. When the sprawling varieties grow to 40-50cm, support should be provided.
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Environmental Conditions:
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Temperature: Green beans are relatively cold-resistant but avoid high temperatures. The optimal germination temperature is around 25°C. If the soil temperature is below 10°C or above 40°C, germination will not occur.
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Light: Green beans are short-day plants. The shorter the daylight hours and the more sunlight, the earlier the flowering, podding, and maturity of green beans.
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Water: Throughout the entire growth period, green beans require sufficient and evenly distributed water. The flowering and podding stage requires the most water.
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Nutrients: Green beans prefer nitrate nitrogen fertilizer, but the supply of nitrogen should not be excessive. As green beans grow, the demand for nutrients gradually increases, especially the proportion of phosphorus and potassium should increase.
Overall, green beans have promising planting prospects, but besides sowing at the right time, it's essential to master planting techniques and provide suitable environmental conditions such as temperature and light. This way, green bean plants will flower more and yield higher.
