Beans are warm-season vegetables, but during excessively hot weather they may drop their blossoms and pods. Since beans are sensitive to frost, they should be planted when all danger of frost is past and when the soil is warm. Seeds of many bean varieties tend to crack and germinate poorly when exposed to very moist conditions. Therefore do not soak bean seed or irrigate immediately after planting.
For a continuous supply of snap beans, make plantings every 10 days until the first part of August.
The bush types of beans, which are most commonly grown, should be planted in rows. Pole varieties, which must be supported by poles or trellises, should be planted in hills 3 feet apart each way.
Red kidney beans, and edible soybeans are grown much like limas and snap beans.
To control bean diseases, do not handle or work among bean plants when the foliage is wet from dew or rain.
The Mexican bean beetle, the bean leaf beetle, and the potato leafhopper should be controlled.
Harvest snap beans when the pods are young and succulent and before the seeds are mature. Lima beans harvested for green limas should be picked when the seeds are nearly full size but before they turn white. For dry beans, let the pods mature on the plants, but harvest them before the pods get so dry that they shatter.
Crop | Amount for 100 ft of row |
Variety recommended for use in Illinois | Days to harvest | Resistant to |
Snap beans (seed) | ¾ pound | Bush, green | ||
Blue Lake 274 | 58 | Mosaic | ||
Contender | 53 | Mosaic | ||
Derby | 57 | |||
Provider | 52 | Mosaic | ||
Tendercrop | 54 | Mosaic | ||
Tendergreen | 57 | Mosaic, rust, bacteria, blight and wilt | ||
Topcrop | 51 | |||
Bush, yellow | ||||
Cherokee Wax | 52 | Rust, mosaic | ||
Gold Crop | 54 | Rust, mosaic | ||
Slender Wax | 56 | |||
Lima beans (seed) | ½ pound | Burpee Improved Bush | 75 | Mosaic |
Fordhook 242 | 75 | Mosaic | ||
Baby Fordhook | 80 | |||
Henderson | 70 |
Vegetable | Hardiness | Recommended planting period for central Illinois (b) | Time to grow from seed to field (c) | |
For overall Use |
For storage |
|||
weeks | ||||
Bean, bush, lima | Very Tender | May 10-June 15 | ……. | … |
Bean, bush, snap | Tender | Apr. 25-July 15 | ……. | … |
Vegetable | Spacing in row | |||
Seed to sow per foot | Distance between plants when thinned or transplanted | Distance between rows | Planting depth | |
inches | inches | inches | ||
Bean, bush, lima | 3-4 | Do not thin | 18-30 | 1-2 |
Bean, bush, snap | 6 | Do not thin | 18-24 | 1-2 |
Bean, bush, lima | 3-4 | Do not thin | 18-30 | 1-2 |
Bean, bush, snap | 6 | Do not thin | 18-24 | 1-2 |