How to Grow Italian Bush Beans

Italian bush beans are often called Romano or Roma beans. These beans grow on bushy stalks and produce long, thin green beans that have a rich, "meaty" flavor. Although Romano beans come in bush and pole varieties, bush beans are easier to plant and mature more quickly than the pole variety.
Bush beans grow best in full sun and warm, dry soil; bush beans planted in cold or wet soil will rot. They prefer soil with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. Healthy seeds will germinate within five to seven days, and mature in two to three weeks. They are best harvested when they are light green and about ¼ inch thick.

Trowel
Peat fertilizer
Watering can
pH soil-testing kit

Instructions

- 1
  Choose a location in full sun to plant the beans. Test the soil to ensure the correct pH. If it is too high or low, choose a new spot away from pine trees and rhododendron bushes, as they can change the soil's pH.
- 2
  Dig a hole about 2 inches deep. Line the hole with about 1 inch of peat fertilizer and drop in two or three bean seeds. Cover the seeds with 1 inch of soil and water generously without soaking the soil. Continue until all seeds are planted.
- 3
  Water the bean seeds every other day. After a week, look for bean sprouts poking through the soil.
- 4
  Harvest the beans after two or three weeks. Pluck each ripe bean by griping it firmly where it attaches to the bush. Pinch the stem of the bean so it separates from the bush and place it in a bucket. Store your beans in the refrigerator or other cool, dry area inside the house.

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