Growing green beans in a raised bed works great with the right approach. Start by picking your ideal seed varieties. Then, pick a full sun location for a 12-inch deep (30 cm) raised bed. Prepare your garden beds with trellises if you are growing vine varieties of green beans. Otherwise, just make rows. Plant your seeds 1 inch (2.5 cm) deep in spring. Give them 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water per week. That’s all it takes to get big harvests from your green beans.
7 Steps to Growing Green Beans in a Raised Bed
By setting yourself up for success with a raised bed, you can start harvesting your beans 40 to 60 days after planting. Follow these tips to get the most from your green beans:
Pick Your Green Bean Seed Varieties
Select the green beans you want to grow. Green bean varieties generally fall into four main categories. Pole and bush beans are the most popular. Runner and yardlong beans are also an option. Many varieties exist within those categories, including purple, yellow, and blue beans. You can even find speckled green beans, like dragon tongue bush beans. The beans vary not only in looks but in size and taste as well.
Choose a Full Sun Location for Your Beans
Pick a full sun location for your green beans. All varieties need at least 6 hours of sun each day. Aim for 8 to 10 hours of sunlight daily to get the biggest harvests. Be ready with row covers though. Green beans love lots of sun. But they don’t do great in the heat. Blossoms will typically fall off when temperatures go above 95°F (35°C). These row covers will prevent that from happening.
- Winter protection for your plants and crops.
- Lightweight and breathable material.
- Can also be used to encourage rapid seedling growth.
Use High-Quality Soil
Fill your raised beds with rich, well-draining soil. Avoid sandy soil. Instead, use a silt loam. Add compost and other organic matter as needed to increase drainage. Give your plants at least 12 inches (30 cm) of soil. The shallow roots of green beans will spread out through the top 6–9 inches (15–23 cm) of soil. Use this tester to make sure the soil pH is between 6.0 and 7.0 pH. If not, you may need to amend the soil with calcitic or dolomitic lime to decrease acidity.
Build Tall Trellises to Support the Vines
Build six-foot-tall trellises (approximately 2 meters) to support your growing vines. You can make your trellises taller, but it will be difficult to pick the ripe green beans off very tall supports. Cattle panels make excellent trellises. Teepee-style trellises are popular as well. We like these easy-to-use trellises for beginners. However, you don’t need any trellises at all if you’re only growing bush green beans.
Choose the Right Planting Time
Plant your green bean seeds after the last average spring frost date in your region. You can find the average frost date in your region using this online tool. Another signal that it’s time to plant green beans is when the soil temperature rises to 50℉ (10℃). To find the soil temperature in your area, you can use this online soil temperature map.
Plant Green Bean Seeds for Optimal Growth
When planting vining green beans, create rows along the bottom of your trellises for the seeds. If you are planting bush beans, create rows in your raised bed spaced 18 inches apart (45 cm). All types of green bean seeds should be planted 1 inch deep (2.5 cm). Space vine bean seeds 2 inches apart (5 cm). Bush beans seeds should be spaced 4 inches apart (10 cm). Water your seeds generously right after watering. Then, keep the soil moist until seedlings appear.
Water Your Beans on a Regular Schedule
Water your green beans 1–2 times per week after the seedlings sprout above the surface. Give your green bean plants one half-gallon of water (2 liters) per square foot each time you water. Green beans grow best when they are provided with one inch of water each week. When watering, do not allow the water to splash on the vines. Water at the soil level using a watering can or soaker hose.
Start checking your plants for ripe green beans after about 50 days. You should get daily harvests until the vines stop producing flowers. Keep picking the beans on time to increase production. Harvesting daily will ensure you enjoy the most flavorful, tender beans every time.
Do Green Beans Grow Well in Raised Beds?
Green beans grow perfectly well in raised beds. The beds should have enough room for a tall trellis. You can put the trellis along the side or right in the center. Teepee-style trellises allow you to grow lots of beans in a small area.
- Green beans do quite well when grown in raised beds.
- The raised beds should have enough room for a tall trellis.
- Fill the beds with rich, loamy soil to help your plants thrive.
- The soil should drain quickly and dry out between waterings.
- Amend the soil with compost or other organic matter to improve drainage.
Fill your raised beds with rich, loamy soil for the best results. The soil should drain water quickly between watering sessions. Amend the soil with organic matter, like compost, to increase drainage.
How Deep Should a Raised Bed Be for Green Beans?
Raised beds should be at least 12 inches (30 cm) deep for green beans. You can build deeper beds if you want. But it’s not necessary unless you’re adding companion plants around your beans.
- Raised beds for green beans should be 12 inches (30 cm) deep.
- Only build deeper beds if you’re going to add companion plants.
- Green beans have shallow roots that stretch up to 9 inches (23 cm) down.
- The extra dirt in the raised beds gives the roots more room if needed.
Green beans have shallow roots that spread out across the top section of dirt. Most of the roots will reach 9 inches (23 cm) down at most. The extra space gives the roots more room to grow if needed. It also allows you to use your raised beds to grow deeper-rooted plants in the future.
How Do You Grow Green Beans in a Raised Garden?
Growing green beans in a raised garden is easy if you take the right approach. You just need to follow these steps:
- Pick the type of green bean seeds you would like to grow.
- Select a location in your garden that gets 6–10 hours of full sun.
- Use rich, loamy soil that drains well for your raised garden beds.
- Build six-foot-tall trellises to best support your green bean vines.
- Plant your beans after the last average frost of spring.
- PLant green bean seeds 1 inch (2.5 cm) below the soil surface.
- Give your green beans 1 inch of water per week for healthy growth.
Even a small raised bed can leave you rich in green beans through the growing season. So, get your recipes ready—or bring out your canning supplies—if you plan on filling your raised bed garden with green beans.