How to Grow Yellow Wax Beans From Seeds

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Things You'll Need

  • Shovel

  • Compost

  • Trellis, if needed

  • Yellow wax bean seeds

  • Water

Yellow wax beans can add extra color to your plate.

Like most beans, yellow wax beans are considered a straightforward vegetable to grow for even the most novice of vegetable gardeners. To grow yellow wax beans from seeds, all you'll need is some full sun garden space, loose soil, water and a month or two, and your plant will begin to produce yellow pods ready to be harvested and eaten raw or cooked to your liking. Once you've grown yellow wax beans, you'll be able to apply what you know to caring for virtually any other variety of beans.

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Step 1

Dig a full sun area of your garden down to 8 inches deep using a shovel. Break clods of dirt apart and remove rocks or debris as you work. Spread 4 inches of compost over the bed. Dig the garden once more, this time turning the soil to work the compost in evenly.

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Step 2

Pull your shovel across the surface of the garden to form a shallow row only 2 inches deep. Drag any additional rows 2 to 3 feet apart. Install a trellis behind each row only if your wax beans are pole beans. Bush beans will not require a trellis.

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Step 3

Plant your seeds in spring after the danger of frost has passed. Place seeds into the bottom of each row every 6 inches for pole beans and every 3 inches for bush beans. Push the soil along the side of the row into the trench to cover the seeds. Don't press the soil down.

Step 4

Water the soil of the garden evenly over the entire surface to moisten the soil to 3 inches deep. Water two times each week with a shower of water to keep the soil moist for the first three weeks as the seeds germinate.

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Step 5

Help the pole bean plants find and climb the trellis as needed by wrapping the tendrils around rungs of the trellis or using plant ties. Allow bush varieties to grow unaided.

Step 6

Harvest yellow wax beans when the pods are 3 inches long and before they bulge outward with seeds. Regular harvesting as often as possible will drive the plant to produce more beans, making the total harvest for the season larger.

Tip

Yellow wax beans prefer a soil pH of 6.0 to 6.8. Apply a low-nitrogen granule fertilizer over the entire garden soil area prior to planting if you are concerned your garden doesn’t have enough nutrients.

Warning

Apply the necessary insecticide or fungicide as soon as you suspect pest or disease on your bean plants.

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