Beans grow well in Iowa, all sorts of varieties. Around here, YIELDS CAN BE HUGE, AND POLE BEANS CAN GROW TO LEGENDARY HEIGHTS! BUT, BEANS AND PEAS AND LEGUMES PERIOD CONTAIN RAFFINOSE, AN ACTUAL SUGAR THAT DOES NOT DIGEST PROPERLY AND CAUSES GAS AND OTHER ISSUES, SORT OF A NATURAL PROTECTION AGAINST BEING EATEN! This appears to be a great defense for beans and other legumes, as often they grow very large with little insect damage to leaves or peas or beans! METHODS CAN REMOVE, AT LEAST TO A DEGREE, THE GAS COMPONENTS IN PEAS AND BEANS; THIS TYPICALLY INVOLVES TECHNIQUES BASED ON SIMPLY BOILING/SOAKING IN WATER. I prefer to plant pole beans, as they can grow up high and have high yields and easy maintenance. I prefer an initial planting around April Fool’s Day! REPLANT later, as needed. Generally the beans yield early, and a few can even be harvested after a freeze, very late in the year. MY 2024 APRIL FOOL’S DAY BEANS BEANS WERE A REAL SUCCESS, BUT I REPLANTED A TINY PORTION AGAIN ABOUT A MONTH LATER, INITIAL ONES FAILED TO POP UP. I use some beans fresh and others I let dry for later use. Well, sometimes I let them dry, after I realized I have lapsed in my bean picking and they are fairly dry already. Dried beans saved in a container can make great chili during a cold month. Or, freshly dried beans might be used for bean sprouts, as they are garden fresh and have excellent germination. Bush beans also grow well, but my current preference is pole beans. Typically my bush bean plants have taken a small amount of space and pole beans a large amount of space, but this is accounted for by them climbing around up off the ground. I have had pole beans grow about 20 feet high! Please review my general gardening comments, as they pertain to growing beans organically. Also, beans fix their own nitrogen from the air, so don’t need to worry much about getting nitrogen to them.
