Green beans grow best with a minimum of 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. As long as afternoon temperatures are not above 90℉ (32℃), green beans will thrive with 8 hours of full sun. In cooler climates, green beans grow well with up to 10 hours of full sun per day.
If you are growing your beans from seedlings, “introduce” them to the sun gradually. Start by putting your containers in direct sunlight for about half an hour. Then, increase this amount of sun by 30 minutes each day until your plants are in the sun for at least 6 hours daily.
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How Many Hours of Sun Do Green Beans Need?
Green beans need 6–8 hours of full sun each day. Anything less than 6 hours can drastically reduce green bean growth and the size of your harvest. Similarly, too many hours of hot sunlight can cause green bean plants to wither.
- Green beans grow best with 6–8 hours of full sun daily.
- Green beans are heat tolerant.
- If temperatures remain below 90℉ (32℃), green beans can tolerate 10 hours of sun per day.
- Only offer afternoon shade to your green beans if you live in a very hot climate.
Green beans are heat-tolerant vegetables. Unless temperatures rise above 90℉ (32℃), you don’t have to worry about them getting too much sun or wilting from the heat. Even 10 hours of sun is not too much if you live in a temperate climate. If temperatures are very hot where you live, offer your plants some afternoon shade during the hottest part of the day.
Can Green Beans Grow in Indirect Sunlight?
Green beans can grow in indirect sunlight, but you will have better results growing your plants in full sun. It is possible to get a good harvest of beans even when they are grown in indirect sunlight.
- Green beans can be grown in indirect sunlight.
- Green beans grown with no full sun may not yield the best crop.
- Even 5 hours of full sun a day will make a big difference to your bean harvest.
You can expect a much better harvest if your green beans receive direct sun for at least 6 hours. Even 5 hours a day of full sun ensures a good, if not ideal, crop of beans. Without direct sunlight, green beans and their companion plants will struggle to thrive in your vegetable garden.
Can Green Beans Grow in Shade?
Green bean seeds can germinate in the shade, but in order to grow an actual edible vegetable, your bean plants should have at least 6 hours of full sun per day. Green beans that receive less than 5 hours a day of full sun will usually not produce a satisfactory harvest.
- Green bean seeds can germinate in the shade, but will not produce a good harvest.
- In some cases, no beans will be produced if the plants are grown in the shade.
- Lack of direct sunlight causes blossoms to drop before the beans have a chance to grow.
- Pole beans and other vining green bean varieties may grow wild in an effort to find the sun.
In many cases, shade-grown green beans will not produce any beans. This is because the lack of direct sunlight causes the blossoms to drop before the beans appear. The plants may also become stressed and fail to thrive at all. Your bean plants may grow in strange directions or climb beyond their normal height as well, in an effort to find the sun. Keep your pole beans in check by growing them in raised beds with trellises.
What Happens if Green Beans Don’t Get Enough Sun?
Green beans that don’t receive at least 5–6 hours of direct sun per day may blossom, but not produce many beans. In fact, you may not get any beans at all. Generally speaking, the more sun-deprived your plants are, the fewer beans you can expect.
- Bean plants will not produce a good harvest if they don’t get enough sun.
- Depending on how sun-deprived they are, your plants may produce little to no beans.
- The best way to ensure your beans grow is to give them 6–8 hours of full sun daily.
Your bean plants may also fail to grow to their full height if they get less than 6 hours of sun per day, but in some cases, they will still produce at least a small amount of beans. The best way to avoid any of these problems is to make sure they get 6–8 hours of sun each day.
Can Green Beans Get Too Much Sun?
It is possible for green beans to get too much sun. Although they are very heat tolerant, if you live where temperatures exceed 90℉ (32℃) and sunlight is harsh in the afternoon, your green beans can quickly wilt or dry out.
- Green beans can get suffer from too much sun, especially in temperatures above 90℉ (32℃).
- Overexposure to the sun may wilt your bean plants or dry out the leaves and beans.
- In some cases, the beans may be smaller than normal if too much sun exposure occurs.
- Offer your green beans afternoon shade if you live in a particularly hot climate.
- Give your green beans 6–7 hours of full sun to avoid overexposure.
You may get a harvest of small bean pods if your green bean plants are exposed to harsh, direct sun in the hottest time of the summer. Choosing a “happy medium” of 6–7 hours of direct sunlight is the best way to avoid sun scorch and a smaller than average crop. You may also choose to simply give your bean plants a bit of shade during the hottest part of the afternoon.
How Much Sun Do Green Beans Require?
Green beans need full sun to produce the largest harvest possible. However, they can be damaged by too much sun and heat. To help green beans thrive in your garden, do the following:
- Green beans should have 6–8 hours of full sun per day.
- If temperatures are below 90℉ (32℃), up to 10 hours of daily direct sunlight is acceptable.
- Beans grown in indirect light or shade may have small harvests or produce no beans at all.
- Green beans exposed to more than 6 hours of full sun daily when temperatures exceed 90℉ (32℃) may wilt or struggle.
- Provide afternoon shade for green beans in hot weather.
- When growing beans from seedlings, give them sun on a gradual basis.
By balancing sun and shade, you will get the best results from your homegrown green beans. A sunny location that receives some afternoon shade from buildings or nearby plants is typically the best place to plant your garden beans.
