Butter beans
How do I sow butter beans outdoors?
To sow butter beans outdoors, you need to wait until all risk of frost has passed, usually from April onwards. Choose a sunny spot with well-drained soil. Before sowing, prepare the soil by weeding and working it deeply to make it loose.
Create furrows about 40-50 cm apart and place the butter bean seeds every 5-8 cm along the furrow. Cover the seeds with fine soil and pack lightly. Be sure to water regularly, taking care not to soak the soil.
Butter beans need plenty of heat to germinate, so keep an eye on temperatures. When the plants reach around 10 cm in height, thin them out, leaving just one plant every 15-20 cm. Mulch the soil to limit weeds and conserve moisture.
You can encourage growth by combining butter beans with companion crops such as carrots or radishes. Avoid planting beans near garlic or onions. By following these tips, you'll get delicious butter beans naturally and without fertiliser.
How do I harvest butter beans?
Butter beans can be harvested from July until early autumn. It is important to pick the pods regularly to encourage the plant to produce more. To harvest butter beans, simply cut them with scissors or break them off by hand at the stem. Take care not to damage the plant when harvesting.
Once harvested, butter beans can be stored in a perforated plastic bag in the fridge for about a week. For longer storage, they can be blanched and frozen. To do this, plunge them into boiling water for a few minutes, then cool them quickly in iced water before freezing.
To encourage good production, make sure you water your butter bean plants regularly and mulch them to keep the soil moist. Avoid chemical fertilisers and opt for natural solutions to nourish your soil, such as compost or nettle purin. By following these tips, you'll be able to enjoy delicious butter beans all summer long.
Butter beans
- Type : Vegetables
- Subtype : Seed vegetables
- Botanical Family : Fabaceae (papilionaceae / legumes)
Characteristics
- Lifecycle : Annual
- Exposure : Full Sun
- Frost Hardiness : Frost Sensitive
- Cultivation Difficulty : Easy
- Adult Height : 40 cm
Sowing & Planting
- Greenhouse Growing : Not Required
- Sowing Depth : 3 cm
- Plant Spacing : 8 cm
- Row Spacing : 40 cm
Maintenance
- Maintenance : Low
- Water Requirements : Moderate
Seeds
- Soil Type : Humus-rich
- Soil pH Preference : Neutral
- Pest Sensitivity : Moderate
- Disease Sensitivity : Moderate
- Weed Sensitivity : Moderate
- Pollination : Self-pollinating
- Propagation : Sowing