When to Fertilize Bush Beans

Time Frame

• For most soil types, two applications of fertilizer are suitable for bush beans. Make the first fertilizer application right before you plant the bush-bean transplants or seeds. The second fertilizer application is best right before the first bloom. Successive planting for continuous production can increase the demand for fertilizer applications. If you're planting bush beans every two to three weeks throughout the spring and early summer, you'll need to make several fertilizer applications before each bloom.

Dosage

• For the preplanting fertilizer application, select a fertilizer with a 5-10-10 NPK -- nitrogen-phosphorous-potassium -- formula. You can apply the 5-10-10 fertilizer at a rate of 3 lb. per 100 square feet. For the second application, right before the first bloom, apply ammonium nitrate at a rate of 1 lb. per 100 feet of row. This second fertilizer application should be a side-dressing, meaning that you should spread the fertilizer along the row of bush beans, keeping it from touching the plants. If your garden soil is sandy, you may need to make additional side-dressing applications of fertilizer. Leaching rains can also necessitate more frequent side-dressing applications.

Considerations

• These fertilizer recommendations for bush beans are based on the assumption that no soil test has been performed. If you want to know the exact nutrient requirements, you can perform a soil test with the help of your local agricultural extension service and base your fertilizer applications on those test results. Keep in mind that the optimal soil pH for bush beans is 5.8 to 6.5. Based on the soil test results, you may need to apply more or less fertilizer prior to planting or while side-dressing.

Other Care

• Water your bush beans frequently enough to keep the soil evenly moistened and never dried out. Water the bush beans in the morning, thoroughly moistening the soil to a depth of at least 6 inches. You should pay special attention to the moisture needs of the bush bean plants while they're setting and developing their pods. Also, hand-pull or shallowly cultivate around your bush bean plants during the first six weeks to keep weeds at bay. Depending on the specific bush bean variety, the beans should be ready for harvest about 50 to 60 days after planting the seeds.