How to Plant and Grow Green Beans

Plant green beans in a site with full sun and good drainage. Wait until the danger of frost has passed and the soil has warmed to at least 50 degrees.

Plant your bean seeds 1 inch deep. Sow bush bean seeds two to four inches apart, in rows two to three feet apart. If you're growing pole beans, create a tepee of support stakes, each 7 to 8 feet tall, tied together at the top. Plant several seeds in a circle around each leg of the tepee, spacing the seeds six inches apart. Provide at least 30 inches between the rows.

Water your beans after planting, then provide 1 inch of water each week. Control small weeds by carefully shaving off their tops with a hoe; beans have shallow roots and deeper cultivation can affect growth and crop yield. You also can apply an organic mulch 2 to 3 inches deep to conserve moisture and reduce the number of weeds.

Pick your snap beans on a regular basis when the pods are crisp and elongated, but the seeds inside haven't developed much. The more you pick, the more new beans will be formed by the plant. If you leave snap beans on the bush to mature, it will slow down the production of new beans.