The Spacing for Green Bean Bushes

Season

• All beans are sensitive summer-only plants. Plant this crop only after all danger of frost passes in the spring. University of Illinois Extension recommends continuing bean plantings through mid-summer for a staggered, continuous harvest.

Site and Soil

• Green beans require fertile, crumbly soil for efficient growth and vegetable production. Put them in garden locations with full sunshine for eight hours every day. Turn 3 inches of organic compost into the top 6 to 7 inches of soil to produce loose, quick-draining and fertile soil. Purdue University Horticulture recommends adding 5-10-10 granular fertilizer to the soil to give bean seedlings more immediate nutrition.

Spacing -- Bush Beans

• Green beans grow in bush and pole varieties. Bush bean plants produce relatively compact, self-supporting growth, and need only 2 to 4 inches per plant in the row, with 18 to 24 inches between rows. Bush green bean cultivars include Blue Lake 274, Bush Kennedy Wonder and Derby.

Spacing -- Pole Beans

• Pole beans produce bushy, vining growth, and can reach several feet in height. These beans require more generous spacing, with cages, arbors or trellis systems for support. Plant pole green beans at 4 to 6 inches in the row, with 30 inches between rows. Pole bean cultivars include Blue Lake, Kentucky Blue and Kentucky Wonder.