The Mighty Green Bean.

This Weeks Verse:

Genesis 1:11-12

Then God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them"; and it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good.

First off if anyone ever has any complicated or easy garden questions please feel free to ask 

and I will help you to the best of my knowledge.

Oh the mighty green bean should be an essential plant in the gardeners choices of plants. There are so many varieties to choose from that the focus is going to stick to the average everyday green bean garden variety. Topics for this discussion will cover: pole vs. bush, what you can plant next to and with beans and how beans can be preserved.

French Filet (Bush Beans - String less)

Many gardeners will argue over that bush beans are better than pole beans and pole beans are better than bush varieties. As a fellow gardener to another it is what you really prefer more. The bush varieties are a earlier crop for a gardener. They tend to have less varieties and the beans that are harvested are smaller. Bush beans also take up less space and are more compact for smaller gardeners. While the bush beans counter parts are more productive, easier to harvest and have later and bigger bean crops. The pole bean requires more tending than the bush bean, because of the trellises required to let them grow on. Many people do get creative with the pole beans and grow them on a variety of items. The pole bean can be grow on any metal trellis, fence and some are even grown on wire yard art. The pole bean is like natures topiary that will grow into any shape or size. So as a fellow gardener to each his own favorite variety to grow.

So what are the best plants to grow along side the bean? Well with pole varieties the garden pea is an excellent choice and can be grow on one side of the trellis while the pole beans grow on the other. Here's a list of plants that can and can't be grown with beans:

• Pole Beans:
• Likes:
• Corn, summer savory, and radishes
• Dislikes:
• Beets and onions
• Bush Beans:
• Likes:
• celery (one plant for every six)
• cucumbers, strawberries, corn, and summer savory
• Dislikes:
• Fennel and onions

"The Mighty Bean Warrior" By Rebekah

Beans are a pretty versatile vegetable for canning. These little wonders can be pickled or pressure canned. 
Here's some great recipes for canning:

Zeidrich, Linda (2009), The Joy of Pickling, Boston, Mass: The Harvard Common Press
Brined Snap Beans:
Makes about three Quarts
2 lbs tender young snap beans, trimmed
6 small dried hot peppers
6 Garlic cloves, chopped
12 whole black peppercorns, crushed
6 dill heads
1/2 cup pickling salt
3 Quarts of water

1. Layer beans, hot peppers, garlic, peppercorns and dill in a gallon jar. Dissolve the salt in the water and pour enough brine over the beans to cover them well. Push a gallon size freezer bag into the top of the jar, pour the remaining brine into the bag, and seal the bag. Store jar at room temperature.
2. Fermentation, indicating by tiny bubbles, should begin within three days. If any scum appears at the top of the jar, skim off and rinse brine bag.
3. The beans should be ready in about 2 weeks, when they taste sour and the bubbling has stopped. Remove the brine bag and cap the jar. Store in Refrigerator.
4.  The pickled beans should keep in the refrigerator for several months.

Please enjoy! Next time will cover canning basics.