SPECIES: Phaseolus vulgaris pp.

DESCRIPTION: Grown for edible pod, bush snap bean most popular because it does not need growing support. Pole bean needs trellis or other support.

VARIETIES: Bush: Contender, Topcrop, Kentucky Wonder, White Half Runner, Bountiful, Burpee Stringless, Blue Lake, October, Tenderette and many others. Consult your local garden center for other varieties, including lots of stringless ones, good for this area. Bush Romano, Contender, Provider and Tendercrop Stringless can be grown in containers for patio gardening.

LIGHT: Sun.

SOIL: Well-drained, organic-rich soil.

TEMPERATURES: Soil for germination, 60-85 degrees Fahrenheit, seeds in cold soil slow to germinate or will rot; for growing, soil 70-80 degrees; air, 60-80 degrees during day. Days to germination, 4-10; days to maturity, 52 to 70.

FERTILITY: Medium-rich. pH: 5.8-7.0 soil acidity.

MOISTURE: Average.

CULTURE: Seed after frost-free date. Space 2 inches by 24 to 30 inches for bush snap beans; 4 to 8 inches by 24 to 36 inches for pole beans.

HARVEST: Plant several crops of bush beans, two to three weeks apart, until Aug. 1, for continuous harvest. Keep plants picked to maintain heavy producers. Harvest when foliage dry to avoid spreading disease. Pole beans bear longer; vertical growth habit good for tight spaces.

PROBLEMS: Mexican bean beetle, corn earworm, spider mites, bacterial blight, powdery mildew, root rot, rusts. Look for disease-resistant varieties; consult your local garden center for pest/disease treatments..

FERTILIZER: Medium feeders. Beans are legumes, which fix their own nitrogen once roots are established; particular kinds of bacteria live in the nodules on the roots of many plants in the legume family and ``fix'' nitrogen from the air into a form that can be utilized by the host plant.

Excess nitrogen delays flowering. Apply fertilizer along sides of plants - sidedress - only after heavy bloom and pod set, using 1+ ounces or 3 tablespoons of 10-10-10 per 10-foot row.

Sources: Virginia Cooperative Extension, Taylor's Guide to Vegetables, Rodale's Problem Solver for Fruits and Vegetables

LAST FROST DATES

Average last frost-free dates:

• Virginia Beach/Chesapeake: March 15-20
• Peninsula: April 10-15
• Williamsburg/James City: April 15-20
• Middle Peninsula: April 15-20