Beans Ideas, Tips & Guides

Homeowners have had to combat root-knot nematodes for as long as home vegetable gardens have existed. Nematodes are microscopic worms in the soil in high numbers that can cause damage to susceptible plants. Traditionally, the vegetables most affected were beans, watermelons, cucumbers, and especially three grower favorites: tomatoes, sweetpotatoes, and okra. Although there are many types of nematodes in the soil, root-knot nematodes are some of the most common and cause the large galls or knots you see on the roots of susceptible plants

Growing up, my father loved growing vegetables. He was proud of his produce, always sharing the harvest with friends and neighbors. He would even encourage compliments at the dinner table by saying, “those green beans are really good, aren’t they?” Of course, we quickly responded to the affirmative, lest the question would be posed again. But I must say, the beans were always good, along with the squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, and many other vegetables that came out of his garden.

As you drink your recommended 6 to 8, 8-ounce glasses of water per day, don’t forget that your vegetable garden should also never be short of water this summer.  Did you know that water makes up 80 to 90 % of vegetable and fruit weight? Water affects yield, fruit size, and quality.  It also prevents a variety of disorders such as toughness, off-flavor, cracking, blossom-end rot, and misshapen fruit.

Justin Ballew reports, “It has gotten dry again in the Midlands. Scattered areas received some good rain over the weekend, but others missed it and remain badly in need. Over the past two weeks, I’ve heard of several heat-related issues, including poor seed germination, okra blooms aborting, and peas not filling out properly. If it stays hot, monitor irrigation schedules carefully and make sure plants are getting enough water. Unfortunately, that’s about all we can do until it cools off some. We’ve had a few fall crops planted in the past couple of weeks, including tomatoes and eggplant. Right now, we’re still harvesting some sweet corn, beans, tomatoes, and squash.”

Headspace is the unfilled space between the food in a jar and the lid of a jar. General canning headspace recommendations from the United States Department of Agriculture are as follows:  Leave ¼ inch headspace for jams and jellies; leave ½ inch for tomatoes, fruits, and pickles that will receive a boiling water bath process; leave 1-inch headspace for most low acid foods that will be pressure canned. Some vegetables and meats require 1¼ to 1½ inches of headspace.

A frequent question to the Home & Garden Information Center: “I canned my green beans in a water bath canner. Are they safe?” Often this question is prefaced by “My mother and grandmother taught me to can green beans in a water bath, and they survived. Why should I use a different method?”

Hudson Valley Seed Library’s motto is “Heirloom Seeds With Local Roots,” and they specialize in heirloom seed “rooted in the history and soils of the Northeast.” The co-founders’ goal for their first-year business is to grow all their seed locally by 2014, much of it on their land in Accord, NY. Ken Greene and Doug Muller want to rekindle the knowledge and spirit of seed-saving at a local level, “to close the loop from seed to seed that is necessary for a truly local sustainable local food system,” they say.I think it’s a great reminder for all of us, wherever we live, especially right now: We can save some of our seeds from year to year, and also share it. Fostering this kind of consciousness and engagement is what the Seed Library is excited about.Anyone anywhere can order from their web-based catalog, and there’s a way to get more involved: Join the Seed Library, for $20 a year, which includes 10 packs of seeds (plain wrappers, not the fancy ones a

THE 2010 SCHEDULE:Each Wednesday for the rest of the summer and probably longer, a group of blogging friends including Todd and Diane at White on Rice Couple; Shauna Ahern the Gluten-Free Girl, and Food2 will swap our recipes and tips about the following harvest-fresh ingredients. You’ll love meeting this year’s participants (a full list with links will accompany my post Wednesday and every week). The schedule:7/28: cukesnzukes 8/4: corn 8/11: herbs, greens, and beans 8/18: stone fruit 8/25 tomatoes more to come if we all want it — stay tuned! We each post something and then link to one another, so that you can travel around the combined effort, gathering the goodies.HOW YOU CAN JOIN IN SUMMER FEST:Giving back

IT HAS TO DO WITH BEES, AND BEANS, and getting the hell out of Dodge (wherever that might be for you). Why I named my upcoming dropout memoir “And I Shall Have Some Peace There” also has to do with a poem that stuck with me since I first read it as part of a college class at NYU.

I KNOW, I KNOW: Why can’t it just last; why does it all have to start to flop and fade and fall apart? The spring garden, that is. June is the month when spring turns to summer—often well before the official moment (June 20 at 7:09 PM Eastern Daylight Time in 2012). Remember those gorgeous lilacs, rhododendron, flowering bulbs? Beautiful memories, yes, but also big brown messes everywhere. Uh-oh, get ready for another cleanup! Shall we tackle it together, one thing at a time (in print, and in podcast version)?

IDON’T THINK THIS DOODLE by the inspirational and eccentric Andre Jordan needs much explanation, except perhaps to say that the only creature not in line for legumes like peas and beans here this year at my seasonal supermarket/vegetable garden has been Margaret. Sigh.

The listing for ‘Aunt Ada’s Italian’ in the catalog from Turtle Tree, a biodynamic seed company and just across “town” here from me, said that the variety came from Italy to Colorado around the turn of the 20th century, with a family called Botanelli. It’s likened to a “small, buttery snap lima” in flavor when steamed. I quickly steamed a bowlful for supper, and drizzled the beans with some olive oil and a dash of salt. Delicious (though admittedly a whole different texture than what you expect from a snap bean, whose seeds are rarely part of each mouthful)!My vines (supported on a bamboo tripod) are a couple of feet taller than the 6 feet predicted, and they started to bear in about 60 days. Pick them when they are not too big (maybe 3 inches long on average) and the seeds inside are starting to show. From the number of flowers on the plant yesterday despite the good haul of pods, I’d say there are plenty more to come.Want to use them for soup or another dry-bean recipe? Let the pods go all the way to withered and tan on the vine, and follow the dry-bean how-to here.This is the second new-to-me

THANKS ANYWAY, drone engineers, but I don’t really want to live to see the day when drones are used for pollination because we let all the bees die. I know, I know; progress and innovation and all, but… Pollinator drones are not brand-new (the one in the video above, from “Science” magazine in February 2017), but apparently Walmart has applied for a patent on just such a device—perhaps a move to offset Amazon’s increasing entry into the fresh-food market, some industry analysts say.

Looking to grow your own beans but are short on space? Check out our guide to the Best Types of Beans You Can Grow Vertically! From pole beans to runner beans, we’ve got you covered with tips on how to maximize your yield and enjoy fresh, home-grown beans in a limited space.

Enrique Díaz / 7cero / Getty Images

I maintain that buying seeds is truly the best kind of shopping—seeds are relatively affordable and are literally bursting with potential. Quite frankly, I think seeds are a miracle; you get a small envelope of little hard things, you sink them in soil and nurture them, and before you know it, you get beautiful free food. Seeds are the antidote to a broken food system and the epidemic of being disconnected from what we eat.

Move over, red tomatoes. There’s a new tomato in town, and it’s promising to be even healthier than its already uber-healthy red counterpart: Meet the purple tomato.

Transform your home into a flourishing garden with the Most Productive Vegetables for a Balcony and Patio Garden, ensuring a plentiful yield in limited space and enhancing your green thumb experience.

I maintain that buying seeds is truly the best kind of shopping—seeds are relatively affordable and are literally bursting with potential. Quite frankly, I think seeds are a miracle; you get a small envelope of little hard things, you sink them in soil and nurture them, and before you know it, you get beautiful free food. Seeds are the antidote to a broken food system and the epidemic of being disconnected from what we eat.

The fruits on this list are considered strange due to their unique features, taste, and unusual growing habitat. These are healthy, and their strange look adds to their appeal. This article lists some of the Most Strangest Fruits.

Summer means beach runs, boat rides, and, of course, happy hours—and this year’s selection of trending cocktails is packed with seasonal flavors. From the Dirty Shirley to the Hugo Spritz, and even burrata- and bone broth-based drinks for the more adventurous, these options mean there’s truly something for everyone.

In the mind of a minimalist, less is most definitely more. There is more to a minimalist lifestyle than meets the eye, though—it goes beyond just cutting out clutter. While a minimalist home features fewer items, that doesn’t mean the mindset requires less thought.

I found a couple of old plastic spring rocking horses in a free junk pile. I decided to give the first one a new identity as a unicorn. The 2nd one is still deciding what to be......

I love gardening, but there is no denying it is hard work, and harvest time always seems to come and go too quickly!I don’t know about you, but I am always on the lookout for w

With their unique, climbing habit, vines are the perfect plants for adding vertical interest with bright summer colors to the garden.Most are fast growing, and their clinging o

It is a good practice, avoid planting the plants of the same family at the same site continuously. Usually, the plants from similar family have common pest and disease problems, they also draw the same nutrition from the soil again and again. A useful and informative article on this issue that you must read for more information is available on the Harvest to Table.

If you want to boost the productivity and flavor of your crops in the garden, then check out this list of Vegetables You Should Never Plant Together and Why.

When you go to a fast-casual restaurant for lunch, what’s your go-to option? Chances are it’s some sort of bowl. If you go to Cava, it’s going to be a mediterranean-inspired bowl with some sort of grain like brown rice at the base, veggies, hummus, and lots of tzatziki. If you go to Chipotle, chances are you’re reaching for a burrito bowl with brown rice, beans, a protein, cheese, and a hefty dollop of guac. But who says you have to add a grain base to your lunch bowl in order for it to be considered both fulfilling and healthy?  If you’re over this trend or just want to try something new, let us introduce you to a new and life-changing concept straight from TikTok: cheese bowls for lunch.

Harvesting Coffee is not as tough as it seems, and this article will give you all the information you need to do it easily at home!

Vegetables are planted every season but do you know there are some of them that are planted once and harvested many seasons? Here are the best Perennial Vegetables You Can Plant Once & Enjoy for Years!

Vegetables grow best in full sun. Provide at least 6 hours of sunlight daily to your plants. Exposure to the sun makes the plant healthy and improve their resistance to pests and diseases.

Many of us are doing our part, big or small, to be mindful of sustainability, especially when it comes to our gardens. There are numerous ways we can reduce waste and encourage biodiversity while gardening organically. One way is in the selection of eco-friendly vegetables we choose to grow. Not every veggie crop is considered sustainable. The most sustainable vegetables are those that can be grown year after year, relying on local resources while minimizing their impact on the environment. Read on to learn about the best vegetables to grow for sustainable gardening.

If you’re going to puppy-proof your garden, there’s lots of advice out there. Not all of it works.

Coffee, no doubt, is one of the most popular beverages around the globe. Nothing beats a rejuvenating cup of coffee after long hours of sleep or exhausting work schedule. Coffee is also rich in antioxidants and offers significant health benefits as well. ________________________________________________________________________

Vegetarian and vegan diets have risen in popularity in recent years, but the looming question remains – how do meat-free eaters get enough protein?Fortunately, a variety of plant-based protein sources are readily avail

Summer is the best time to take a step back, slow down, and spend more time doing things we enjoy under the sun or in the comfort of our homes.