Legumes are not for nothing that they occupy one of the first places among vegetables in terms of the level of benefits that they bring to the human body. Legumes combine a whole storehouse of vitamins, micro- and macroelements, and also contain an easily assimilated vegetable protein. In terms of their nutritional value, legumes are three times higher than meat, but in comparison with animal protein, they are more easily absorbed by the body and do not disturb metabolism. That is why gardeners always grow this vegetable on their site.
A special place among the representatives of legumes is occupied by asparagus beans. In foreign countries, asparagus beans are grown by gardeners much more often than green beans... In our country, the situation is the opposite, and at the moment, asparagus beans are not so widespread. But this is completely in vain.
Why grow asparagus beans?
The pods of asparagus beans are delicate in taste, of a wide variety of shades: green, yellow, black, purple. The length of the pods can also vary from 10 to 120 cm.
There are several good reasons why you should grow asparagus beans in your summer cottage:
- Excellent taste of young pods, reminiscent of the taste of gourmet asparagus.
- If you leave the pods in the garden until they are fully ripe, you can get a good harvest of small and tasty beans.
- High yield of asparagus beans, subject to the conditions of their cultivation. So with proper care, from one bean bush during the period of its growth (about 4 months), you can collect from 3 to 5 kg of the product.
- Ease of maintenance.
- Long fruiting period (all summer cottages).
- Asparagus beans can be used in addition to all other qualities as an ornamental plant to decorate a house wall or fence, or create a hedge.
Asparagus beans are able to benefit not only the human body, but also nature. Every gardener knows that growing it in soil helps to improve the characteristics of the latter. It has long been known that legumes are the best way to prepare beds for further planting of other vegetable crops. The roots of legumes secrete special substances that react with soil bacteria to produce the nitrogen necessary for plants.
It has been noticed that planting beans on the same bed every year increases its yield. Therefore, if there is a need to transfer the beans to a new place, then you need to take part of the land from the previous bed and mix it with the soil on a new one.
Scientists have proven the fact that legumes are able to repel such garden pests as moles and shrews. In order to forever scare them away from their site, along its perimeter, as well as throughout the area, along with other vegetables and fruits, you need to plant bean bushes. Both asparagus and bush beans, as well as peas, will do.
Asparagus beans, thanks to their long lashes and dense green mass, provide a light shade for other vegetable crops and serve as protection from drafts. This property will benefit tomatoes and cucumbers.For this, asparagus beans are planted on the south side of the beds.
Description of asparagus beans
Asparagus beans form long, strong stems, reaching a length of about 3.5-4 m. Bean leaves are large, the shades of flowers are different depending on the color of future pods. From a white flower, a yellow pod will turn out, from yellow and red - green and red, respectively, from a purple - lilac pods. Usually the green mass will also have a slight tint to the color of the pod. Due to the variety of colors, asparagus beans are often planted not for eating, but for decorating a garden, a gazebo, a fence. They don't harvest it.
For asparagus beans, a feature is characteristic when, after each removal of young pods with unripe sugar beans, a new wave of flowering and setting of young fruits quickly begins. Asparagus beans are convenient because if the grower skips the harvest and the beans mature, they will never lose their high taste. They will taste soft and oily.
Young asparagus beans are rich in vitamins and minerals and their health benefits are enormous. That is why fresh pods are sometimes overpriced on supermarket shelves. This is another reason to grow it yourself in your summer cottage.
If you do not have a summer residence, then you should not despair, since asparagus beans are one of the few types of vegetables that can be grown on your balcony in a large container. It can be eaten both raw and can be prepared from it for the winter or frozen.
Growing asparagus beans in the garden
Asparagus beans are placed on the bed in such a way that there is a distance of about 30 cm between the bushes, and at least 60 cm between the rows. Since beans are a climbing crop, it would be appropriate to place supports with stretched ropes on the beds. The garden bed in this case will receive a sufficient and even distributed amount of sunlight, it will be well ventilated, which will exclude the appearance of rot on the leaves and fruits. Harvesting with this arrangement of beans is also much easier.
It is convenient to grow asparagus beans using the so-called nesting method. To do this, a support in the form of a hut is installed on the bed, and the bed is formed round. The diameter of the bed should be no more than 80-90 cm, and no more than 10-12 beans should be planted in it. Asparagus beans will curl around the supports of the makeshift hut from all sides, making harvesting easier.
Another convenient option for growing asparagus beans is to plant them along a fence, gazebo, or hedge. The result will be a high yield of beans along with good shelter from sunlight and drafts.
Beans can also be planted between the stems of the grapes. Such a neighborhood will have a beneficial effect on the health of the grapes, and you will also not need to think about what support to make for the asparagus beans.
The soil for growing asparagus beans must be very nutritious and fertile. It is best to fertilize it with manure, and it is also recommended to apply a handful of nitroammophoska for each square meter of area. The first landing is carried out in open ground when the earth warms up to 8-10 degrees Celsius. Beans are a cold-resistant plant, therefore they are successfully grown even in the northern regions. Beans can also be grown using seedlings, but it is important to use the transshipment method when transplanting to the garden, since the roots of the plant do not tolerate any manipulations with them.
Before planting, the seeds are soaked in water with the addition of honey for germination. After planting, the bed is covered with wood ash. This will saturate the soil with useful substances, as well as protect future tender bean sprouts from pests. The first shoots can be observed within about a week after planting.
Pest control
With insufficient care, lack of watering, fertilization in the soil, asparagus beans will become exposed to insect pests. Young bean sprouts are particularly affected by whiteflies, aphids and spider mites. To control them before flowering, you can successfully apply one of the many insecticides of your choice. But, starting from the moment of flowering, with an attack of pests, it will be possible to use only folk remedies that are harmless to the human body. These include solutions of laundry soap, ash, dusting the bushes with tobacco dust.
Beans are often affected slugs... You can save the plant from them by sprinkling the ground with lime or ash.
