2015 - The Year of Beans & Peas
College of
Agriculture and
Natural Resources
Garden to table!
All in the family…
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Green bean (bush and pole)
Lima bean (bush and pole)
Shell beans
Garden pea/edible pod pea
Cowpea
Soybean
Scarlet runner bean
• Peanut
‘Borlotto’, an heirloom
shell bean
These are all members of the Leguminosae (a.k.a Fabaceae) plant family and are
referred to as legumes
Other edible legumes
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Garbanzo bean (chickpea)
Lablab (hyacinth) bean
Tepary bean
Pigeonpea
Lentil
Fava bean
Fava bean flowers
Photo: Luke Gustafson
Beans popular in Asian cuisine
• Soybean
• Yard-long bean
• Sword bean
• Winged bean
Two snow pea varieties
Photo: Erica Smith
Add pea flowers and shoots
to salads
‘Sugar Snap’ peas
Photo: Kent Phillips
Reasons to grow legumes
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Most grow well in MD; good beginner crop
Lots of different types
You get a lot from a small space
Multiple crops each season
Easy to save seed
Can be frozen, canned, pickled, and dried
“Fix” nitrogen from the air
N-fixation
Rhizobia nodules
• Rhizobia (bacteria) occur naturally in soil. They infect
legume roots and form a symbiotic relationship
• Plant forms protective nodules around multiplying
bacteria
• N2 gas is transformed by rhizobia into ammonia (NH3)
that plant cells use to make plant compounds
(especially proteins)
• Red or pink color in nodule cross-section indicates
that rhizobia are active
Inoculation can increase yield
And they
are pretty!
Planting basics
• Full sun location: 6-8 hours of direct sunlight
• 6-8 inches of loose, fertile soil
• Start planting beans in late April/early May;
bush beans can be planted up to early July
• Plant peas (cool-season crop) in March/April
for June harvest. Difficult to grow a fall crop
• Note: seeds may rot if planted in cold, wet soil
Planting tips
• Drag a stick or tool through the soil to make a
shallow furrow
• Drop seeds every 1-4 inches (follow packet
instructions)
• Cover with soil (½-inch in spring and 1-inch in
summer). Press down to make good seed-soil
contact
• To save space, plant bush beans and snap peas
in short rows 1-2 feet apart
Get a head start…
• Soak seeds in water overnight prior to
planting
• Pre-germinate seeds indoors on moist paper
towels
• Start seeds indoors and
set out transplants
Growing tips
• Apply nutrients according to soil test results.
Nitrogen is nutrient most often in short supply
• Water your planted seeds and young plants if
needed. Don’t let them get water-stressed!
• Remove weeds by hand or with a hoe or weeder. A
layer of organic mulch will prevent weeds and keep
the soil moist and cool in summer
• Pick pods as soon as they are ready. This stimulates
new flower and pod growth
If possible, install drip irrigation: it saves time and water
Tatsoi plants in a bed with a drip line for each row
Photo: Kent Phillips
If possible, use vertical space
• Increase yields per sq. ft.
• Easier to water, fertilize and harvest.
• Adds complex texture to
garden; use shaded side
for lettuce and spinach
Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
• Organic pesticides are a last resort
• Plant flowering plants in and around the
garden that provide nectar and pollen for
beneficial insects that eat pest insects.
Examples: mountain mint,
anise hyssop (left), thyme,
oregano, basil, dill, yarrow,
aster, marigold, zinnia,
alyssum, phlox, bee balm,
milkweeds, butterfly weed,
borage, salvias, lamb’s ear
Biological control
• Give mother nature a chance!
– Predators eat pests
– Parasitoids lay their eggs on or in pests;
larvae consume the host
Some natural predators (good guys)
Orb-weaver spider
Lady beetle larva
Assasin bug
Mantid eating a stink bug
Some bean plant enemies (bad guys)
#1: Mexican bean beetle- “skeletonizer”
Adult, larva, and egg mass
Who has been eating my leaves at night?
#2: Night-feeding beetles!
Oriental beetle
Bean leaf beetle
#3: Japanese beetle
populations were high
in 2014 and could be
a problem in 2015.
#4: Brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB)
Eggs and young nymphs
Adults feeding on bean pods
Photo: Entomolgy Dept., UFL
Injury image from plantManagementnetwork.org
2nd to 5th instar BMSB
USDA ARS
“Stippling” symptom
during hot, dry weather?
Look at leaf undersides
for spider mites.
#5: Spider mites
European red
mites on leaf
underside
#6: The kudzu bug, an exotic invasive
pest, has arrived- late season feeding
possible on all garden beans.
http://mdkudzubug.org/
Top photos (eggs and nymphs): Joe
Eger, Dow Agrociences, Bugwood.org
Right photo (adult): Alan Leslie, UM
Organic management
• Grow healthy plants with the right amounts of
sun, space, water, nutrients
• Improve soil quality with organic matter
• Remove weeds; clean up and compost garden
residues
• Handpick insect pests and remove damaged and
diseased leaves
• Only use organic pesticides as a last resort. Don’t
spray when flowers are open
• Try using floating row covers
Floating row covers
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First line of defense against spring frost
Hastens germination and promotes early growth
Excludes pests- rabbits, birds, deer, beetles, etc.
Can be left on for entire lifecycle of early bean or
pea plants
• Note: can trap excessive heat
and damage plants after July
Floating row cover
supported by #9 wire
above; bird netting
supported by pvc
pipe below
Enviromesh protects crops
from insects and wildlife
Resources
• Grow It! Eat It!
http://www.extension.umd.edu/growit
– We have all types of practical food gardening tips and
information. Check out our popular blog!
• Home and Garden Information Center
http://www.extension.umd.edu/hgic
– Here you will find factsheets, photos, and videos. You
can also subscribe to the free monthly e-newsletter.
– We answer gardening questions 24/7…just click
“Ask Maryland’s Garden Experts”
• Maryland Master Gardener Program
http://www.extension.umd.edu/mg
– Consider becoming a trained MG volunteer!
This program was brought to you by the
Maryland Master Gardener Program
______ County
University of Maryland Extension