How to grow bush bean
Phaseolus vulgaris · Fabaceae · Vegetable
Bush Bean is a warm-season vegetable in the Fabaceae family, almost always sown straight into the ground where it will grow. It wants full sun (six or more hours of direct light) and steady, even moisture. From sowing to first pick is about 50–60 days. It is killed by frost, so nothing goes outside until the danger has passed and the soil has warmed.
Grower’s note: Do not start indoors - beans hate root disturbance. Sow every 2 weeks until ~10 weeks before first frost for a steady supply.
Sowing
Sow about 1.5″ deep, into soil between 60–90°F — germination is quickest near 80°F. Germination takes a week or two (6–10 days). It does not transplant well, so sow it in its final position rather than starting it in pots.
Spacing & layout
Give each plant about 4″ along the row with roughly 18″ between rows. On a square-foot grid that is 9 per square foot. Allow at least 18″ of loose, workable soil for the roots. It grows well in containers at least 8″ deep.
Fitting it to your season
Bush Bean needs roughly 50–60 frost-free days to crop. Where the season is shorter than that, start it indoors and choose the earliest-maturing varieties, or grow it in a container you can move under cover on cold nights. In long, hot-summer regions it can often be planted twice — once in spring and again in mid-to-late summer for a fall harvest.
Quick facts
When to plant bush bean
Companions
Carrot, Cucumber, Sweet Corn, Potato, Zucchini / Summer Squash
Onion, Garlic, Leek
Common problems
Pests: Mexican bean beetle, aphids, bean leaf beetle.
Diseases & disorders: anthracnose, bacterial blight, bean rust, bean mosaic virus.
Same family (Fabaceae)
Rotate these so they don’t follow each other in the same bed year to year.
Figures are typical home-garden ranges from Cooperative Extension planting guides, cross-checked against multiple state sources. Your variety and conditions will vary.