Growing guide

Best time to plant french bean in Australia

Phaseolus vulgaris

Also called green bean, common bean, bush bean, climbing bean

A legume from the Americas, the common bean has many cultivars, sold as low bush plants or long climbing vines. Green pods are picked young and usually cooked. Dried beans must be soaked and boiled hard for 30 minutes, since raw ones contain a toxin. The leaves occasionally serve as a vegetable.

On a shared plot: suits a plot

Finishes in a season and stays within its space, so it suits most plots.

When to sow

ZoneMonthsHow well checked
CoolOct to JanNot yet checked against a local guide
TemperateSep to FebNot yet checked against a local guide
SubtropicalAug to AprNot yet checked against a local guide
TropicalFeb to OctNot yet checked against a local guide
AridSep to FebNot yet checked against a local guide

Your local conditions can shift any months shown here, so treat them as a guide.

Growing details

How to start
Sow directly in the bed
Sowing depth
2.5cm
Plant spacing
10cm
Row spacing
80cm
Height
250cm
Germination
About 10 days
Time to harvest
60 days
Frost
Frost tender
Sun
Part sun
Life cycle
annual

These are typical figures, and varieties differ. Your seed packet takes priority.

Further reading on this plant