How to Replant Successive Bush Beans

Pull the bush bean plants once the beans have been harvested and the plant has ceased production. Discard the plant material in the compost bin.

Till the soil with a garden tiller or hand tiller to loosen the soil and prepare it for a new crop of beans.

Apply 10-10-10 or 5-10-10 fertilizer following the recommended application rate on the container. Work this in well with the existing soil to prevent injury to seeds. Contact with fertilizer granules "burns" seeds and prevents germination.

Plant the bean seeds to a depth of 1 inch, spaced 4 inches apart. Cover with soil and firm it down with the back of the hoe. Firming the soil secures the seeds and removes air pockets around the seeds.

Water to moisten the soil to a depth of 2 inches and keep the soil moist until seedlings appear. Germination time depends on the moisture level and soil temperature. In warm weather, beans may germinate in three to five days, but in cooler soil they may take a week or more.

Water deeply once or twice a week to saturate the soil to the root level. Deep watering encourages good root formation, whereas frequent, light watering encourages roots to form near the surface of the soil.

Control weeds by hand pulling or cutting them at the ground level with a hoe. Organic mulch, such as grass clippings, also controls weeds and retains moisture.