The Benefits and Effects of Green Beans and How to Grow Them on a Balcony

Green bean is another name for the kidney bean, and it has many names. In the north it is often called eyebrow bean, and in Lanxi, Zhejiang it is also called eyebrow bean. It is also called vegetable bean, kidney bean, April bean, etc. In Quzhou, Zhejiang it is called Qingming bean, and in Sichuan and some parts of central China it is called four-season bean. So what are the benefits and effects of four-season bean, and do you know the method for growing four-season bean on a balcony?

I. Benefits and effects of four-season bean

1. Supplementing folic acid

Four-season bean contains folic acid, so eating four-season bean can supplement folic acid, and folic acid can promote brain development, and folic acid can also prevent tumors and cancer.

2. Promoting body development

Four-season bean contains the trace element copper, and copper can promote body development and is indispensable for human growth and development. Copper can promote the development of bones, skin, and internal organs, and copper can also promote hair development and nourish and protect hair. Four-season bean also contains urease, saponin, and various globulins, and these substances can improve the human body's immune capacity and enhance resistance.

3. Maintaining the body's acid-base balance

Four-season bean is rich in inorganic salts, and inorganic salts can maintain the acid-base balance in the human body, thereby maintaining the body's various circulatory systems and promoting human metabolism.

4. Strengthening the spleen and nourishing the stomach

Four-season bean contains protein and is rich in various amino acids. In the view of traditional Chinese medicine, four-season bean strengthens the spleen without being cloying, and boosts qi and strengthens the spleen.

5. Strengthening bones

Generally speaking, strengthening bones means that a food is rich in calcium, so that a large amount of calcium is taken in to prevent osteoporosis, but four-season bean is not like this. The calcium content in four-season bean is not very high, but four-season bean contains a large amount of vitamin K, and vitamin K can increase bone density in patients with osteoporosis, thereby strengthening bones.

6. Protecting the heart

Four-season bean contains soluble dietary fiber, and these soluble fibers can reduce the deposition of cholesterol in the blood and promote the excretion of cholesterol. It is also rich in vitamin A and vitamin C, and these two vitamins can also prevent cholesterol deposition in the blood. Four-season bean also contains the trace elements magnesium and potassium, and these two trace elements can help the human body stabilize blood pressure, thereby reducing the burden on the heart and protecting the heart.

7. Weight loss

Four-season bean is rich in dietary fiber, and dietary fiber can promote gastrointestinal peristalsis and help the discharge of waste from the intestines. Four-season bean also contains saponin, and saponin can reduce the human body's absorption of fat and promote fat metabolism. Four-season bean is rich in nutrients, low in fat, and also very low in calories, so four-season bean is a low-fat, low-calorie food, and therefore four-season bean is a very good weight-loss food.

II. Method for growing four-season bean on a balcony

Seedling-raising method for four-season bean

1. It can be sown directly or transplanted as seedlings. Put 3-4 seeds per hole, cover with about 2 cm of soil, keep moist, and seedlings emerge in about 1 week. If the weather is too dry, cover with film to retain moisture.

2. If transplanting, it should be done as early as possible. It can be transplanted when the first pair of true leaves unfolds. Because the root system has weak regeneration ability, water thoroughly after planting.

Daily management of four-season bean

1. It has strict water requirements and likes moisture but fears drought and waterlogging. Before flowering, water should be less; generally, do not water unless the soil is dry. From flowering to pod-setting, more water is needed; generally water once every 2-3 days, and appropriately increase watering frequency when the temperature is high.

2. Fertilization can usually be carried out together with watering. In the early growth stage, apply 2-3 times of decomposed organic fertilizer mainly based on nitrogen fertilizer. From flowering to pod-setting, spray once every 1-2 weeks with decomposed organic fertilizer, which should be a compound fertilizer of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

3. The suitable growth temperature is 15-25°C. When it is above 13°C or below 15°C, flowers tend to drop. In summer high temperatures, shading and cooling are needed, and during low temperatures, long periods of rain should be avoided. Bush varieties do not need supports. For climbing varieties, when the plant height is 15-20 cm, set up supports or guide the vines to climb on a trellis or railing. About 10 days after the flowers fade, the pods can be harvested when they are about 10 cm long. When harvesting, hold the flower stalk with one hand and pinch off the pod with the other, being careful not to pull hard and break the stem vine.

Pest and disease control of four-season bean

1. Bean anthracnose: 70% thiophanate-methyl 800 times solution, spray at 7-day intervals.

2. Bean rust: 50% carboxin 800-1000 times solution, spray at 7-day intervals.

3. Bean aphid: 10% imidacloprid 2000 times solution.

4. Whitefly: 25% buprofezin 1000-1500 times solution spray.

Harvesting of four-season bean

About 10 days after the flowers fade, the pods can be harvested when they are about 10 cm long. When harvesting, hold the flower stalk with one hand and pinch off the pod with the other, being careful not to pull hard and break the stem vine.