Bean

Botanical name: Phaseolus vulgaris, Phaseolus coccineus
Beans with the exception of Broad Beans are warm season crops and frost tender. Seeds germinate best at 18 – 25°C; seed will rot in cold, wet soil and even if they do germinate the plants will lack vigour and be overtaken by a later sowing into a warmer soil. In temperate areas sow beans through spring and early summer. In cold temperate areas you may need to wait until late October, early November. In frost-free, subtropical areas beans can be sown all year but will suffer from pest (bean fly) and disease (rust) problems at the height of summer so avoid sowing in December and January. In tropical areas sow during the dry season April to August. In the tropics snake beans can be a better choice as they are more disease resistant. Other tropical beans include Madagascar Bean and Winged Bean. These tropical beans can be grown as far south as Brisbane but require a very warm soil to germinate so should not be sown before early summer.