How Do Bush Bean Plants Reproduce?

Characteristics

• A bean plant is classified as a dicot, which means that its individual seeds are composed of two food storage units called cotyledons. This differs from monocots, such as corn, which possesses only a single cotyledon. When a bean seed comes into contact with soil, it germinates, developing a root below the ground and pushing two false leaves above the soil. These leaves are the sprouted cotyledon, and they nourish the developing plant with stored food until it grows its first set of true leaves that start manufacturing their own food, using the sun's energy. As the bush bean plant grows, its main stem elongates, producing leaves and flowers, and it is from the center of the flowers that beans will emerge.

Pollination & Fertilization

• Beans are monoecious, which means that their flowers contain both male and female reproductive organs. Bees and other insects visit the flowers in search of nectar and pollinate them in the process, transferring the fine dust-like pollen from the male stamen to the female pistil, which contains the ovary that will develop into a bean pod. Once fertilization has taken place, the flower fades as the pod emerges, with each pod containing roughly six to eight new immature bean seeds. Full reproduction of the bean plant is only possible if the pods are allowed to dry on the plant and the beans stored for future planting. Otherwise, bush beans are generally eaten fresh off the plant before their immature seeds are capable of producing new plants.

Planting Beans

• As a warm-weather crop, bush beans will not germinate in soil in a temperature lower than 48 degrees Fahrenheit, nor do they tolerate frost. Beans do not require much beyond typically fertile soil, as long as it drains well, since they are capable of producing their own nitrogen. Plant bush beans about 1 inch deep and 2 to 4 inches apart, spacing the rows about 2 feet apart to allow for cultivation, weeding and harvesting. For a continuous harvest throughout the summer, plant beans about every two to four weeks until August.

Saving Bean Seeds

• Bush bean seeds are among the easiest to save for replanting, and all it involves is leaving some pods behind on the plants during harvest. Most beans are ready for picking in about 55 days. To save some for drying and replanting, leave the pods on the plants until they start to turn yellow and wither. Alternatively, uproot the plants and hang them upside down in an airy, warm place until the beans rattle inside the pods when shaken. Remove the bean seeds from the pods and store them in jars or other airtight containers in a dark cool place.