When is the right time to plant beans?

As a popular vegetable, beans are grown in almost every household in rural areas. They can continue to produce beans for people to enjoy for several months. March is coming soon, and as the temperature gradually warms up, the planting season for various vegetables also arrives. Let’s take a look at when is the right time to plant beans?

When is the right time to plant beans?

Green beans prefer warm environments and have good heat resistance, but are sensitive to low temperatures and frost. The suitable temperature range for the growth of beans is 20 to 25 degrees Celsius. When the temperature drops below 20 degrees Celsius, the stems of the plants will become thin, the vine extension period will be prolonged and it will be difficult to branch. Below 15 degrees Celsius, the growth rate of beans will slow down. Below 10 degrees Celsius, growth will be inhibited, and below 5 degrees Celsius, the plants may be damaged. At 0 degrees Celsius, leaves and stems may die. The suitable temperature for germination of bean seeds is 25 to 30 degrees Celsius, the minimum germination temperature is 8 to 10 degrees Celsius, and the best temperature for flowering and pod formation is 25 to 28 degrees Celsius. When the temperature exceeds 35 degrees Celsius, the plants are prone to premature aging, the phenomenon of flower and pod falling increases, the pods may become shorter or deformed, the quality declines, and the yield decreases.

Normally, the sowing time of beans is scheduled between March and July, and the sowing time should not be too early or too late. In Jiangsu, Zhejiang and other regions, early spring cultivation generally involves sowing or transplanting in mid-to-late March. In southern China, sowing time can be advanced to February. Autumn beans in the Yangtze River Basin are usually sown or transplanted in mid-July, while in South China it is mostly in late July. If plastic greenhouse cultivation is adopted, the spring sowing time in the Yangtze River Basin can be advanced to early March, and the autumn sowing time can be postponed to early August.

Key points for growing beans

1. Preparation for sowing

Beans are usually planted by direct sowing. Before sowing, if the soil is dry, it is necessary to irrigate first to ensure that the soil has sufficient moisture, and then fertilize and prepare the land. The sowing of beans can be done by ridge or flat bed method, with large and small row planting, where the large row spacing is about 80 cm, the small row spacing is about 40 cm, and the hole spacing is about 30 cm. Place three or four seeds in each planting hole, water immediately after planting and cover with moist soil. After sowing, you can choose to cover the ground to maintain soil moisture, and then wait for the seedlings to emerge.

2. Irrigation and fertilization

Beans grow rapidly during the seedling stage, and the growth rate needs to be properly controlled to avoid delayed flowering and reduced number of flowers. Until the pods form, avoid watering and fertilizing unless the soil is particularly dry. If the beans grow weakly during the vine growth period, you can irrigate them appropriately and apply a small amount of fertilizer , applying about 5 kilograms of urea per mu of land. When managing the watering of beans, the principle of "watering the pods but not the flowers" should be followed. That is, when the flower buds first appear, if the soil is dry, you can water them appropriately, but watering should be avoided in the early stages of flowering to prevent the flowers from falling. After the first inflorescence forms pods, normal water and fertilizer management can be started. In the early stage of pod setting, keep the soil slightly moist. Moderate drought will help promote flowering and pod setting. Apply fertilizer every other irrigation. Under drip irrigation conditions, apply 5-10 kilograms of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium triple compound fertilizer per mu of land each time.

After the beans begin to be harvested, in order to promote the growth of pods, the frequency of watering should be increased, the soil should be kept moist, and fertilization should be mainly with phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, and the application of nitrogen fertilizers should be reduced or stopped. Under drip irrigation conditions, apply about 5 kilograms of potassium sulfate each time you water, and apply about 3 kilograms of diammonium phosphate every one or two irrigations.

In the later stage of bean growth, in order to maintain the growth vitality of the plants, nitrogen fertilizer should be applied appropriately during topdressing, and the number of fertilizations should be reduced. Fertilizer should be applied once every one or two irrigations, and compound fertilizer can be selected.

The above is an introduction to the planting time of beans. During the seedling stage, beans tend to grow too vigorously, so we need to control their growth rate. However, if the plant grows too weak, it also needs appropriate fertilization to promote its growth.