Provider Green Bush Beans
Phaseolus vulgaris

days to maturity: 50 days
plant spacing: 4-8 per square foot
sunlight requirements: 8-14 hours
look out for: mildew from overcrowding
harvest notes: harvest beans every other day for about 10 days then pull the plants
seasons: fall, winter, spring
annual

Provider is the best early green bean for gardeners who desire good flavor, disease resistance, and high yield. 5½ inch long pods are ready at 50 days. Fairly hardy under adverse conditions and well suited to greenhouse use and humidity. Resistant to common bean mosaic virus and tolerant of powdery mildew, which is important for us tropical climate growers, especially in gardens without full sun.

Bush beans are super duper extra fabulously easy to grow in home gardens so long as you have 8 hours or more of direct sun in your garden. Bean seeds are large so kids can handle and plant them very easily, and they germinate in under 72 hours so you get instant gratification if they want to check their new plants every day for growth. Direct seed 8 plants per square foot and thin them to 4 or 6 once they’ve germinated. One key to bean growing is to harvest very regularly once fruiting starts (like every other day) and then once you run out of beans on your plant pull them and add them to your compost pile. Many gardeners don’t realize that beans are meant to fruit heavily for a small window of time and then they’re done. Bonus: the plants contain nitrogen so they make a good ingredient for your compost pile.

Direct seed beans right into your garden at about 2" apart.