July is time for Heirloom Beans: From Cups to Ground!

Heirloom Beans: Gary Pilarchik

Here are three varieties of beans. I have a bush bean called 'Turtle'. A semi-climber called 'Pinto'. And a heirloom Lima bean called 'Christmas'. If you click the photo x2 it will enlarge. The Lima bean is nicely colored and it grows 12 feet.

I grow them in cups for 2 reasons. I plant more then I need to ensure I have plenty of plants and it saves me time. I can grow them in cups for 10 - 14 days while the other vegetables in my garden tire out. I started these and pulled the other beans from the ground garden when the cup beans got to the size of the above picture. You get to have the garden growing in cups when the space isn't quite ready yet in the garden. A great time saver!

I tucked the beans throughout my garden. The bush beans got ground space. The climbers got a trellis and a wall. The wall will get some chicken wire put on it these weekend.

Bean From Cups to Garden: Gary Pilarchik

I use my chives as a rabbit deterrent. I simply break some chives from the clumps I have all over the garden and sprinkle them over the transplants.

New Beans to the Trellis: Gary Pilarchik

I removed the old pole beans that did poorly and added a new batch to the garden. 

Heirloom Lima Beans Against the Wall of My Compost House: Gary Pilarchik

The wall will get covered in chicken wire this weekend to support these 12 foot climbers. Don't get attached to poorly growing plants in the Summer. Pull them out and put in new plants or seeds. There is a lot of growing season left.

Visit My Video How To Website: My Tomato and Vegetable Garden. Construction began July 2011 and it will host How to Garden Videos for all things gardening. The website differs from my blog: The Rusted Vegetable Garden in that it is primarily video content with few articles. The site will grow quickly.