It has been a great year for beans. In the spring, we grew 82 pounds of beans in about 135 square feet of space. That’s plenty for our family, with a bunch to give away to friends. They are fun to grow. They look great. And they produce great yields in small spaces. We grow Bush and Pole beans, devoting 1 to 2 of our trellis beds to beans each season. If your goal is to take an item or two out of your grocery budget, green beans should be on the list. We haven’t bought beans in years. 82 pounds would be approximately $135 worth of canned beans from the grocery store. They are easily saved in the freezer or can be canned for long-term storage. Beans are a great option for any Back Yard Garden.

Our bean beds are fertilized mainly with compost produced right from our 4/10’s of an acre. We use Sustane 4-6-4 for a side dress every 2-3 weeks. I actually put this stuff on everything around our yard. It’s a great price and adds growth potential to every plant. One bag usually lasts 6 months.

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