Beans

Beans are great croppers but the growing season is fairly short in Tasmania. Keep sowing seeds from mid spring to early summer for summer and autumn crops.

Push seeds into the soil about an inch deep, with 4 to 6 inches between plants and water well. Further watering shouldn't be necessary until the seedlings have emerged.

Climbing beans should be trained up stakes or wire droppers. Pinch off the growing tips once plants have reached 2 metres in length. Bush / dwarf beans don't need this treatment.

Pick beans when young. Smaller beans are more tender and less stringy. Cropping will continue longer if the beans are prevented from growing large, though you can let a few of the pods reach full size for next years seeds.

Beans are legumes, so they are also useful for introducing nitrogen to the soil via root nodules. For this reason you could follow your bean crop with a leafy vegetable like lettuce or spinach, or with carrots in early autumn.