LET’S GET GROWING #9
The Ups & Downs of Growing Bush Beans
I planted both starts and seeds along the border of my raised bed in full sun about 4 inches apart. In Grow Cook Eat, Willi Galloway recommends gradually backfilling the furrow with soil to support the long stems. To prevent the tips from rotting, Galloway also instructs gardeners to place a 3-inch layer of dry mulch around the base of the plants. I used dry grass clippings.
Willi also takes every gardening year as an opportunity to learn from her mistakes. I’m taking a page from her book, literally. While the bush beans I planted from starts have flourished, the seeds I sowed directly into the soil look to be providing pests with a midnight snack. I’ve been using iron-phosphate based slug bait, but I think it’s time to take the next step and try using an insecticidal soap, as Willi recommends.
