Beans are easy to grow and very nutritious, making them perfect for your home garden. The beans may be green, yellow ("wax beans"), and even purple, depending on the variety. There are two types of bean plants: bush beans and pole beans.

Bush beans form low mounds; they tend to bear earlier than pole beans, and much of the crop comes in quickly making them a good choice if you plan to can or freeze some of your crop.

Pole beans form long vines which will climb a trellis or bean tepee, making them easy to harvest. They come into production later than bush beans, but produce over a longer season.

Whichever you choose, if you harvest beans regularly they'll produce a bigger overall harvest.

1. Prepare. Loosen soil to a depth of 8 to 10 inches using a shovel or tiller. Mix in some compost or slow-release fertilizer to provide plants with nutrients. Then rake the soil smooth, removing any large clumps and rocks.

2. Plant. Beans are sensitive to cool soil; wait until soil warms up before sowing. Sow bush bean seeds about an inch deep and 3 inches apart. Either poke a hole with your finger and place the seed in the hole, or use a hoe to create a shallow furrow. Cover seed with soil and press gently. Thin to one plant every 6 inches. Sow pole beans in rows 3 feet apart to leave room for trellising, or sow around the perimeter of a tepee.

3. Grow. Water soil to keep it moist, and pull weeds that sprout nearby. Once seedlings are a few inches tall, thin them by removing extra plants so the remaining ones are about a foot apart. A thin layer of straw mulch wlil help control weeds, conserve soil moisture, and keep soil from splashing onto plants.

4. Enjoy. Harvest beans regularly to encourage plants to continue producing.

AT A GLANCE

Exposure: Full sun

Planting time: After last spring frost

Planting depth: 1 inch deep

Spacing in row: 3 inches apart; thin to 6 inches apart.

Time to harvest : 50 to 70 days, depending on variety.

Bush varieties grow well in containers.