Common bean Modus

The Modus Bean is a dwarf variety of snap bean that produces beautiful cylindrical, dark green pods about 15 cm (6in) long. It produces abundantly from July to October and is resistant to the main bean diseases, such as mosaic and anthracnose.
Its flavor stands out from that of other beans. We love it simply cooked in its own juice or with butter and a little parsley. This is how it delivers its full personality. This bushy variety knows how to make the most of small, sunny spaces in the garden, on a balcony or patio. Carry out your sowing from April to July.

Whether consumed for its pod or its seed, the bean is a highly appreciated vegetable in gardens because it is very easy to grow. It is so punctual that the gardener knows the exact date when it will be ready for its first harvest, which is 60 days after sowing.

Discovered in the New World and acclimatized in Europe from the 16th century onwards, the bean has now become an essential legume in diets all over the world. Native Americans cultivated it for its dried seeds, but it was the Italians who, in the 18th century, initiated the consumption of the whole immature pod.
The bean is a vine with indeterminate growth. Primitive varieties are all climbing and require support. Later, for practical reasons, dwarf varieties were selected, but they all have tendrils that can wrap around a support.
Pods are generally green, sometimes yellow (butter beans), streaked with red or even amethyst. Among the varieties that are eaten when tender or extra tender, there are string beans that have filaments when ripe. Then the pod becomes parchment-like and loses its taste.
The snap bean is generally more fleshy and can be consumed entirely, both the seeds and the pods, even when fully ripe. The more recently created stringless - snap beans can be eaten when young and extra tender or when more fleshy like a snap bean because they do not form strings.

Among the shell beans (i.e., beans whose seeds are consumed), a distinction is made between harvesting fresh beans and harvesting dry seeds, which occurs 90 days after sowing.

Immature green pods are rich in vitamins A, B9, and C, as well as trace elements and minerals. Dry beans are also very rich in vitamin C, trace elements, and especially plant proteins.

Harvest: Harvesting fresh beans or young pods begins 60 days after sowing. For fresh beans, it should be done before the pods start to dehydrate and develop wrinkles. The beans should barely take on their color. For pod consumption, harvest every 2 or 3 days, both at the tender and extra tender stages for string beans. Harvesting dry seeds involves cutting the entire plant, which is then hung in a dry and well-ventilated place. The seeds can be shelled as needed.

Preservation: Freezing pods is currently the most common method of preservation. To do this, trim the ends, wash them, blanch them for 5 to 6 minutes in boiling water, then plunge them into cold water before drying them with a clean towel. Once placed in bags, the beans can be placed in the freezer at -18°C (-0.4°F). However, canning is regaining popularity among an increasing number of consumers due to the taste qualities associated with this preservation method. Like freezing, trim, wash, and blanch the beans, then place them in jars and fill them with salted boiling water. Seal the jars and sterilize them in a pressure cooker or with a sterilizer for 1 hour and 30 minutes over medium heat. To do this, completely cover the jars with water after securing them well.

Dry beans: When completely dry, bean seeds can be stored for up to a year if kept in good conditions, such as in airtight jars.

Gardener's tip: Beans, like all members of the Fabaceae family, have the ability to fix nitrogen from the air in the soil through plant-bacteria symbiosis. They have the ability to regenerate the soil. Beans can be included in crop rotation after burying green manure.
Traditionally, bean cultivation in Central and South America is associated with squash and corn, forming a beneficial triad. This association is locally called Milpa. Beans also pair well with eggplants, carrots, cabbage, potatoes, and radishes as they protect each other. Avoid, however, the presence of alliums or fennel as their growth inhibits each other.

A spray of nettle manure effectively combats aphid attacks and strengthens the plants that have benefited from it.