Bitter Green Beans

Question

We are growing green beans that taste very bitter. We are picking the beans at 5-6 inches and seen on the plant less than 2 weeks. Why would the bean taste bitter other than being old?

Answer 1

Bitterness in vegetables can be caused by several things. Most obvious would be harvesting too late, but you seem to be picking the beans in their prime. Heat, drought, nutrient poor soil are 3 other causes for bitter vegetables. You can't do anything about the heat, but supplemental irrigation and appropriate fertilization are easy fixes. If you need to do a soil test, contact your local agricultural extension office.