Garden Bean Phaseolus vulgaris

Post

Subscribe

Name: Garden Bean, Common Bean, French Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)

Description: P. vulgaris is an annual climbing plant of the legume family. It is grown primarily for its seed (bean) which is usually cooked and used in a wide variety of dishes. Other uses of the plant include decorative growing and "nitrogen fixation", a process by which bacteria living in the plants' root nodes convert nitrogen into ammonium, enriching the soil and increasing its fertility.

Size: Stalks of p. vulgaris usually grow up to 3 - 4 meters long in adequate conditions.



Conditions: P. vulgaris thrives best in warm, moist and nutrient-rich soils, with a pH of between 6.2 - 6.8, so slightly acidic. They are generally rather frost-sensitive and should be sown in mid-spring after the last frost.
In environments where there are wild rodents it is best to build a protective mesh around the young plants, as the leaves tend to be a tasty snack for many rabbits and mice.



Propagation: P. vulgaris spreads via seed, contained within the many pods grown at maturity. It will grow many purple, bulbous flowers before producing the pods.




When to plant: As mentioned above, this plant is fairly sensitive to frost and will likely die if exposed to it. It is recommended to wait until the soil temperature reaches a consistent 20 degrees celsius or above before planting.

#Edible
#Beans
#Legumes

%plantpedia