Bean Plant Growth – A Quick Read
If you are planning a garden, knowing the full cycle of bean plant growth can enable you to maximize the bean growing season, optimizing the volume of crop you get for the effort that you invest in. All types of beans, ranging from the common snap pea to soy beans, are a healthy addition to any diet. High in protein, the bean is one of the base ingredients in a vegetarian’s diet, as well as an excellent side dish for those with a preference for meat.
For those working a garden, the first stage of bean plant growth is the seed. High quality seeds have a much higher chance of the plant taking root, which will result in a higher yield in your garden. While these seeds may be slightly more expensive, the overall increase of bean plants growth is worth the investment, especially if you intend on having a larger garden.
To ensure plant health, planting should be done when the temperature drops no lower than 61 degrees F or 16 degrees C. If the temperature falls below this level, your plants may not take root, and may die.
Once your seeds are planted, the time it takes for the plant to reach the seedling stage ranges from three to approximately forty days, with the average being eleven days. A seedling is a very young plant that has just begun to break the surface of the soil. This phase of the bean plant growth cycle is vital, as a healthy seedling will mature into a robust plant. If your seedlings are starved or over watered, your crops will be unhealthy and the volume of beans gained later in the cycle will be diminished.
From the point that your plant has become a seedling, it takes an average of at least fifty days for your plant to produce pods and be ready for harvest. This means that there is realistically only one grow cycle for these crops in a season. The sowing of beans should happen no earlier than March to make certain that your crops have had adequate time to mature during the season before fall frosts strike. Frost can serious harm bean plant growth, and care should be taken to avoid this. In colder climates, this can be tricky, as the time needed for bean plant growth is closely tied to when frosts end and begin.
The bean plant is an annual plant, which means that it can renew itself for at least three growing seasons. However, many gardeners will start from scratch, killing the old bean plants and sowing new each season to ensure that the bean plant growth cycle avoids frost from harming their crops.
