Thanks for the views, comments, and support. Garden playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD3B7554B04514DB5&feature=plcp If anyone knows hoe to prevent deer from eating the tops off the beans please let me know. Thanks! Planting bush beans where my radishes were growing. I use raised beds and stagger the plants so I can pack them in closer together. Also, I stagger my plantings of beans every two weeks up until 2 months before the frost date, which here in zone 5 is October 1st. These bush beans mature in 60 days or less. Staggering the planting provides a steady flow of fresh beans all summer long, and is a back up in case the deer eat your other beans. :) :( I've planted, blue lake, provider and a dark red kidney bush bean so far, and intend to make one more planting in the next week or so. Next season I think i'll plant pole beans along with whatever seeds I save from these crops. Saving seeds from beans is easy, just let them dry on the vine, husk them and store them away in a paper bag for next season, within no time you'll be growing heirloom vegetables that will be stronger and more disease resistant. Plants adapt to the conditions from generation to generation. Plants are considered heirloom after 3 generations, if I recall correctly. tags: planting staggered bush beans in raised beds garden gardening "kidney bean" blue lake provider third generation heirloom vegetables seed storage "saving seeds" crop rotation organic natural farming DIY soil test "how to plant beans" pruning tomatoes hilling potatoes Michigan MiWilderness camping hunting fishing hiking gathering forager "plant identification" "wild edible plants" mushrooms fungi gourmet food herbal remedy folk medicine "food preservation" prepare survive canning sports Cooking