My 2012 Green Bean Garden-2013-post #48

[digitS']

I have only grown Vigna unguiculata once and the vines spent much of the early season in a plastic tunnel, then climbed the hoops thru the summer. That worked fairly well but kept me from dismantling the whole thing as I would have preferred. Phaseolus vulgaris, the common bean, is in my garden every year. I can't really say how the yard-long beans did in cold weather because I was determined to keep them away from it.

Here's my experience with the common bush beans in the cold, DL. I am allowed to relive this every year because I tend not to plant them early. By the end of the season, I've often got more beans than I know what to do with! Early sowings can go to pole beans, which have a tendency to produce early enuf and then continue until the late sowings of the bush beans kick in.

They can't take the frost. A light frost will burn the top leaves and they are about as sensitive as cucumbers. Howsomeever . . . . . Cool, wet weather doesn't seem to slow the maturing of their crop of greenbeans, at all!

I am often a little hard-pressed to get out there on my stool and pick the beans during comfortable moments. The don't really seem to slow down in cold conditions and unload by the bucketful!

Steve

 

[catjac1975]

We had a hard frost in October-pretty normal for zone 6. It can frost in September. Last fall I had green beans until November. Pole beans would not have made it but bush beans did with a blanket over them on a couple of cold nights. I founld them to be better tasting than summer beans. They were slow maturing and very crisp and sweet.

 

[desertlady]

Thanks! We are suppose to have freeze warning tonight ! . My beans has been growing for some time, and will cover them and see how it goes. Next will will warm up. it probably will shock them. who knows?

 

[baymule]

Thanks! We are suppose to have freeze warning tonight ! . My beans has been growing for some time, and will cover them and see how it goes. Next will will warm up. it probably will shock them. who knows?

You could run an extension cord (if close enough) and place a light bulb under your cover for additional warmth to keep them from getting frost bit.

 

[catjac1975]

If you can get out in the morning and spray them with a hose you may be able to save them if they get close to freezing. I don't think they will be shocked by the temp change. Unless they get frosted.

Thanks! We are suppose to have freeze warning tonight ! . My beans has been growing for some time, and will cover them and see how it goes. Next will will warm up. it probably will shock them. who knows?

 

[desertlady]

some of the leaves withered. but didnt look completly damaged. will wait few days and see what happens. this morning was 36 degrees! daytime is suppose to be 70's

 

[baymule]

Ya'll just ain't gonna believe this.........we had green beans for supper tonight! or at least my husband and my mom did......I am officially sick of green beans. Will we EVER get a killing frost here? I have cucumber beetles flying around and I catch them in mid air and squish them. I am picking fat green worms off the brussel sprout leaves and broccoli and stomping thier guts out. Aphids are munching on the lettuce and BWA-HA-HA-HA ----- the durn aphids are on the GREEN BEANS TOO!!

 

[897tgigvib]

Hay Bay, my garden has had 3 nights that my hi lo digital told me got to 31.8. Frost isn't what's doing my garden in. The sun hasn't shined on it directly except in patches for 3 weeks now.

 

[baymule]

You gotta have that sunshine for the garden to grow. That's why mine is in the front yard, the back yard is too shady.

 

[HunkieDorie23]

Baymule, you said that if you cook them to long they get mushy. So does that mean they don't can well?