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A diverse and hardy group of plants, the bean family Fabaceae spans in excess of 20,000 species. Edible varieties include peas, lentils, chickpeas, soybeans, and lima, fava, and pinto beans. Easy to grow, beans have the basic requirements of a sunny spot in the garden and well drained soil. A majority are warm season vegetables and should be set in the ground after the last frost has passed. In Iowa, this typically means planting around mid-May.

One of the easiest beans to grow in Iowa are Phaseolus, green beans. Also known as string beans or snap beans, they are available in bush, pole bean, and half-runner varieties. The bush types are compact and rarely grow more than a couple of feet tall. By contrast, pole beans set out vines that can grow higher than six feet on supports or trellises. Half-runner varieties are in between and reach around four feet tall, requiring smaller supports.

In general, green beans are sown an inch deep and spaced one or two inches apart, in rows from one and a half to two feet apart. For an optimal yield, seedlings should be thinned to two to three inches a couple of weeks after planting. Once established, they fix nitrogen with their roots, which means they need minimal fertilizer. Gardeners may want to encourage early growth by mixing in a light amount of fertilizer at or prior to planting.

Once green beans begin producing (after 50 to 60 days for bush type and 60 to 90 days for pole type) they will continue to produce more, as long as they are regularly harvested. Some gardeners stagger plantings between mid-May and early-August to extend the harvest.

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A diverse and hardy group of plants, the bean family Fabaceae spans in excess of 20,000 species. Edible varieties include peas, lentils, chickpeas, soybeans, and lima, fava, and pinto beans. Easy to...

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One of the foundations of life in the garden is the interaction between various root systems and soil. In addition to acting as a support and anchor for the growing plant, these systems transport water and nutrients from the soil upward through the stalks, leaves, and stems.

The origination point for the root is the seedling's bottom portion. As the seed germinates and sprouts upward, the taproot grows straight down. This primary root may extend several inches in the soil before a developing shoot emerges above ground. Over time, with plants such as onions and corn, the primary root is replaced by a mass of small, stringy roots. As with spinach and carrots, the taproot remains the dominant root across the plant's lifespan.

Plants like tomatoes develop side or lateral roots that branch out from the primary root. Meanwhile, strawberries sprout adventitious roots from runners, stems, and leaves, supporting new fruits and berries as they mature.

Plants require soil with an oxygen component, which helps avoid the buildup of gaseous carbon compounds that choke and kill roots. Proper oxygenation is ensured through the use of less dense, porous soil, including that that incorporates lava, pumice, and bark. Ideally, soil should have 50 percent air space, which maximizes oxygen diffusion.

The root-to-soil relationship is not static, with root hairs and tips, the most tender and newest parts of the root, continually probing deeper into the soil for nutrients and water. The hairs and tips of the plant root absorb such nutrients and pump them via xylem, or hollow cells, to the stems and leaves.

This is enabled through photosynthesis, a process related to light exposure, with dissolved glucose sugar produced in the shoots and leaves and sent back down to the roots via phloem, another system of hollow cells. As these sugars combine with nutrients such as nitrogen, they provide the energy roots require for proper function and growth.

At the level of microorganisms, the "rhizosphere" is a term used to describe the area around the plant root, characterized by specific chemical, physical, and biological properties conditioned by the roots. One aspect of this is the pressure exerted by growing root tips as they push their way through the soil. Lubricating their path and protecting them is viscous, polysaccharide-rich mucilage. This secretion enables nutrient acquisition and helps bind together soil particles, forming aggregates that boost water infiltration, aeration properties, and overall soil quality.

Roots also benefit from mycorrhizae or a symbiotic relationship with soil fungi. The fungus works with the plant root to absorb dissolved minerals such as phosphorus and pass them on to the plant root via the mycelium. The plant root then passes organic compounds such as sugars and photosynthetically fixed carbon to the fungus.

There are various types and structures of mycorrhizal associations, with ectomycorrhiza and endomycorrhiza defining the two basic ways fungi interface with the plant roots. Most within the endomycorrhiza category are arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) fungal associations, with plants such as orchids and cranberries having specialized mycorrhizal associations.

Specific types of soil bacteria also maintain symbiotic relations with legume family members, including clover and beans. Performing nitrogen fixing, they infect roots and cause a round swelling in the root known as a nodule. Consuming a certain amount of sugar produced by the root, the bacteria release nitrogen from the air in the soil. This is fixated or converted into the types of nitrogen compounds that plant roots absorb and require for energy.

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How Roots Interact with Soil in the Garden

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Based in Clive, Iowa, James Sherrick is a retired real estate professional who spent 29 years selling real estate.

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James Sherrick - Philanthropist from Clive, Iowa

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James Sherrick - Philanthropist from Clive, Iowa

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James Sherrick spent nearly three decades as a Guarantee real estate agent and property professional in Fresno, California, prior to his retirement in 2016. He acquired, reconditioned, and sold more than 60 homes during that time, in addition to generating over $50 million in real estate sales and $26 million in brokered real estate. He regularly ranked as the top salesman at his Fresno office. During his time as a real estate agent with Guarantee, James Sherrick was known for his quality client services.

Mr. Sherrick attended Pacific Christian College as an undergraduate, where he studied agriculture and landscaping. During his career in real estate, he became a member of the National Realtors Association. He continues to maintain an interest in gardening and stays active by playing soccer and raising dogs. He is also a philanthropist, having spearheaded charitable initiatives for Poverello House, Break the Barriers, and the Marjorie Mason Center.