Beans come in a number of varieties and colors. Making them both a fun and practical addition to any garden. That said, beans are small and it takes quite a few to make even one serving. Is it cost effective to grow your own? Do you have to grow a garden full to see the benefit, or are a few enough?
For the first harvest, beans will likely cost you money when compared to startup costs for any sized garden. Consecutive harvests are likely to either break even or have a modest, but positive, ROI. There is not much room to offset any unexpected costs, however, growing unique varieties will increase these ‘savings’ significantly.
| 1st Harvest 2ft x 2ft | 1st Harvest 4ft x 8ft | Consecutive Harvest 2ft x 2ft | Consecutive Harvest 4ft x 8ft | Lbs per Plant | Cost/lb | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bush Beans | $(32.43) | $(196.35) | $7.57 | $59.76 | 0.25 | $2.60 |
| Pole Beans | $(29.03) | $(169.15) | $10.97 | $86.96 | 0.5 | $2.60 |
| Edamame | $(32.43) | $(196.35) | $7.57 | $59.76 | 0.25 | $2.60 |
Read further to see why these prices are higher than the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics bean prices (or the commodity prices of soy beans) and why I still consider the prices used here to be conservative.
Check out the table in Is a Home Garden Worth It as Produce Costs Rise? To see how beans compare to other crops. Continue reading that article to learn more about the costs of having a home garden and other, non-monetary, benefits.
How Much Do Beans Cost?
From Jack’s magic beanstalk beans to our common use of the phrase ‘not worth a hill of beans,’ beans are often associated with low worth. This was all prior to inflation (I’m joking, sort of).
The truth is, beans may not be the most expensive item on the grocery list, but they aren’t free either. You can buy them dried, fresh, or frozen and all of these also impact the price you’ll pay.
Dried
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics listed the price of dried beans of any type at ~$1.703 in January of 2023. If you were to check the commodity prices of soybeans (Edamame) at the time of this writing, you would find them around $15 a bushel. At ~$15 a bushel, this would put soybean prices at ~$0.25 a pound.
These numbers are far less than the $2.60 listed at the top of this article! However, these are the average prices for dried beans. While this could certainly be what you are aiming for as a final result, it is far more likely the home gardener intends to enjoy their beans while they are fresh.
Furthermore, Edamame is an immature soybean by definition. They are enjoyed in their tender green form as an item specifically for human consumption. Soybeans are otherwise used in a number of industries for things other than human consumption.
Fresh, Canned, or Frozen
Fresh, canned, or frozen beans are likely to cost you anywhere from $1-5 a pound at the grocery store.
For the most common beans, such as green beans, you can seemingly find these as low as ~$0.60 cut and canned per pound. However, it is important to note, this includes the liquid in these cans as well. Worst yet, the majority of this weight is the liquid. These cheap cans of green beans are in actuality in the $1-2 per pound range.
Fresh or frozen green beans (or edamame) are more likely to cost you in the $2-3 dollar range. For the calculations here, I determined ~$2.60 to be the average price you are likely to pay. This obviously varies by location and variety of bean, but this gives us a solid number to determine big picture numbers.
Uncommon varieties in your location will raise this number significantly. For example, go to your local grocery to buy burgundy beans and see what your prices are – if you can even find them at all.
How much does the average bean plant produce?
Bush beans, and edamame plants, are likely to produce ~.25 lbs per plant. Pole beans are likely to produce ~.5 lbs per plant.
These numbers, as always, depend on many factors including water, soil, sun, spacing etc. In my research I have read claims that bush bean plants can produce between .5-1 lbs, pole bean plants can produce between 1-2 lbs of beans, and edamame can produce closer to ~2.5 lbs per plant. I chose to keep my numbers more conservative for our calculations as I could not confirm these higher ranges, especially with the intensive spacing I am using in our raised bed scenarios.
How Many Bean Plants Should I Grow?
The general suggestion for bush beans, or edamame, is to plant 5-10 plants per person. For pole beans, it is suggested you plant a lesser 3-5 plants per person.
Growing For Two
Bush Beans or Edamame
If you were to grow bush beans, or edamame, it is suggested you should grow ~10-20 plants for two people.
The 2×2 example provided would be nearly twice this much, at ~36 plants! For this amount, you could do a smaller, very manageable, 1×2 ft bed giving you ~18 plants.
This is likely to result in ~4.5 lbs of beans. Your 1st harvest would probably end in a ~$40 loss as your startup costs will still run relatively close to that of a 2×2 bed. After the first harvest, you would be likely to break even. If you saved your own beans to replant, to avoid buying new seed, you might get this up to ~$10 savings per consecutive harvest.
Pole Beans
If you were to pole beans, it is suggested you should grow ~6-10 plants.
The 2×2 example provided would allow space for ~16 plants. Again, you could do a smaller, very manageable, 1×2 ft bed giving you ~8 plants.
This is likely to result in ~4 lbs of beans. Again, your 1st harvest would probably end in a ~$40 loss, making out slightly better than the bush bean example. However, consecutive harvest would still result in you breaking even.
Growing For A Family of Four
Bush Beans or Edamame
Bush beans, or edamame, for a family of four results in needing a suggested ~20-40 plants.
The 2×2 example provided supports this amount
As shown in the table, the first harvest would most likely result in a loss of ~$30. Consecutive harvests would likely result in ~$10 of savings without any unexpected losses.
Pole Beans
You would need a suggested ~12-20 plants to achieve the same result with pole beans.
The 2×2 example provided would allow space for ~16 plants, in the middle of this range.
As shown in the table, the first harvest would most likely result in a loss of ~$30. Consecutive harvests would likely result in ~$8 of savings without any unexpected losses.
How Many Bean Harvest Per Year?
Bush Beans can be harvested every ~60 days. Pole beans can be harvested every ~70 days. Edamame can be harvested every 90-150 days. Of course, time to harvest also varies based on the variety of bean.
With this in mind, if you had a 6 month growing season, which would vary depending on your location, you could get 2-3 harvests of bush or pole beans in a season. You could only get one Edamame harvest within this time period.
It is suggested that you stagger planting every two weeks or so to get beans consistently throughout the season. While bush or pole beans will produce staggered beans, edamame are likely to produce in a way that the entire plant is ready to be harvested at once. Keep this in mind when planting larger amounts.
Disclaimer: Nothing written here is meant to imply a guarantee or to provide financial advice. It is possible your entire crop fails or that your experience results that are different from the estimates provided here. Please do your own additional research before pursuing anything as a financial investment.