How to Grow Blueberries and Beans

Start the beans well after the first frost, to give the plants the warm temperature they require. Put the bean patch 10 feet from the last row of blueberries, in a site where the plants will get full sun for six to eight hours every day. The bean patch should get drainage equal to that of the blueberry patch, as neither plant does well with wet feet.

Feed your blueberries at this time with an application of 10-10-10 or 12-12-12 fertilizer, and mix 2 inches of organic compost into the soil around each plant. This spring nutrition will encourage growth and blooming.

Dig into the top 6 inches of soil in the bean patch and throw out rocks or weeds. Dig 1 inch of quick-draining loam and 2 inches of organic compost into the bean soil to give the plants the rich, friable soil they like. Add 5-10-10 fertilizer at a rate of 1 cup per 50 square feet of growing space.

Plant bean seedlings or seeds, depending on cultivar. Give pole beans 6 to 10 inches in the row, and plant rows at 3 to 4 feet. Give bush beans 2 to 4 inches of space in the row, and plant rows at 2 to 3 feet. Put stakes behind pole beans for support when they get older.

Put the bean patch on the same watering schedule as blueberries, with 1 to 2 inches of water a week. Never let either of these gardens sit in dry soil, as it will affect growth and fruiting.

Mulch both blueberries and beans with 2 inches of organic mulch. Use sawdust, wood chips or pine bark, which will add nutrition to soil as it breaks down. The mulch helps maintain soil temperature and moisture, and will keep weeds to a minimum.

Weed both patches once a month to keep the plants from dealing with competition. Beans are especially sensitive to weeds and grasses.

Give beans 33-0-0 fertilizer halfway through their growing season, when they bloom, to encourage pod production. Give blueberries another feeding at this time, with 10-10-10 or 12-12-12 fertilizer. Follow manufacturer directions in regard to quantity, and always water immediately after you feed.