All beans, except lima, are relatively easy to grow in New England. Beans should be planted in well-drained soil to reduce the chances of disease, and should not be repeatedly planted in the same field (rotate every two to three years) because of soil-borne diseases.

Planting should commence only when soil temperatures have reached 60°F. Optimum seed germination occurs at soil temperatures between 70°F and 95°F for snap beans and between 70°F and 85°F for limas. Irrigation may be necessary at time of bloom in order to insure maximum pod set under dry soil conditions. Temperatures above 90°F or below 50°F cause poor pod set.

Snap Beans

Snap beans include wax (yellow) and purple podded as well as green beans and are either bush or pole in growth habit. Pods are flat, oval, or round, depending on cultivar. Good com-mercial yields for fresh market are 200 bushels or more per acre.

Lima Beans

Lima beans are of minor importance in most areas in New England. Seed germination and plant emergence are likely to be poor if they are planted before soils are warm (65°F or higher). The need to plant late and the days to maturity of available varieties sharply reduce length of the harvest season and restrict production in northern New England. A good yield of shelled lima beans is 3,000 lb/A.

Dry Beans

In recent years, a significant acreage of pea beans and a small, but important, acreage of light red kidney varieties have been grown in northern New England. A good yield is 1,300 lb/A, but 2,200 to 2,500 lb/A is possible.