Easy Tips for Growing Heirloom Beans

• Heirloom beans are a warm season crop that can be planted around the same time you plant corn. Do not plant bean seed until the soil temperature reaches a STEADY 65 degrees or better. If you do your seeds may have a terrible germination rate or just rot in the cold soil.
• Heirloom beans prefer a well draining soil that is loaded with good humus and composted manure.  Loose soil is very important for seed emergence.  
• Heirloom beans need plenty of sun.  If plants are shaded part of the day they will be come weak and tall.  This means loss of valuable pods production.
• Replant every 2-3 weeks for continual summer harvest .
• Never plant beans in the same place year after year to avoid soil borne disease problems. 
• Plant heirloom bush beans 4 inches apart and spread the rows 2-3' wide.  Plant heirloom pole beans at least 6" apart and spread rows at least 4' wide.
• Know your temperatures in the summer and when to plant.  Heirloom beans like full sun, however once the temperature stays over 85F most beans tend to lose their blossoms.
• Sufficient moisture is especially important from flower bud formation to pod set. Too much or too little water, or excessive heat, causes blossom and pod drop. Provide bean plants with 1 inch of water per week. Extremes in soil moisture can also lead to malformed pods in which only the first few seeds develop, leaving the rest of the bean pod shriveled. Water early in the morning to allow plants to dry quickly and reduce opportunity for disease infection.

Varieties:  Some of the many heirloom bean varieties are:  BLACK VALENTINE heirloom bean seeds, BLUE LAKE BUSH heirloom bean seeds, BOUNTIFUL heirloom bean BRITTLE WAX heirloom bean seeds, CHEROKEE WAX heirloom bean seeds, COMMODORE heirloom bean seeds, CONTENDER heirloom bean seeds, DRAGON'S TONGUE BUSH SNAP BEAN heirloom bean seeds, FIN de BAGNOL heirloom bean seeds, KENTUCKY WONDER  BUSH heirloom bean seeds, MAXIBEL HARICOT VERT BEAN heirloom bean seeds, OLD DUTCH HALF RUNNER heirloom bean seeds, penciel pod heirloom bean seeds, provider heirloom bean seeds, romano bush heirloom bean seeds, royal burgundy heirloom bean seeds, tenderette heirloom bean seeds, tendergreen improved heirloom bean seeds, top crop heirloom bean, blue lake pole heirloom bean seeds, cherokee trail of tears heirloom bean seeds, climbing french heirloom bean seeds, genuine cornfield heirloom bean seeds, ideal market heirloom bean seeds, lazy wife heirloom bean seeds, old homestead pole heirloom bean seeds, painted lady heirloom bean seeds, rattlesnake pole bean seeds, sunset runner heirloom bean scarlet runner heirloom bean seeds, fordhook bush lima heirloom bean seeds and henderson bush lima heirloom bean seeds.