Common bean Artemis

The Artemis Dwarf Bean is an improvement of the Admires variety that offers higher yields and better resistance to bean diseases such as Anthracnose and mosaic. Artemis is a snap bean with beautiful, fleshy pods measuring 20 cm (8in) in length and almost 2 cm (1in) in width. It is slow to develop, but its renowned flavor justifies the wait for harvest, which takes place from June to October. The pods can be prepared Lebanese-style or stir-fried Chinese-style, among other ways. The preparation of snap beans varies greatly depending on the region. 

Whether consumed for its pod or its seed, the bean is a highly appreciated vegetable in gardens because it is very easy to grow. It is so punctual that the gardener knows the exact day when the first harvest will take place, which is 60 days after sowing.

Discovered in the New World and acclimatized in Europe starting from the 16th century, the bean has now become an essential legume in diets around the world. Native Americans cultivated it for its dried seeds, but it was the Italians who, in the 18th century, introduced the consumption of the whole immature pod.
The bean is a vine plant with indeterminate growth. Primitive varieties are all climbing vines and require trellising. Later, for practical reasons, dwarf varieties were selected, but they all have tendrils that can wrap around a support.
The pods are usually green, sometimes yellow (butter beans), striped with red, or even amethyst. Among the varieties that are eaten when tender or extra tender are the string beans, which have filaments when fully ripe. Then the pod becomes parched and loses its taste.
The snap bean is generally more fleshy and can be consumed entirely, both seeds and pods, even when fully ripe. Recently created stringless snap beans can be consumed when young and extra tender, or at a more fleshy stage like a snap bean because they do not form strings.

Among the shelling bean varieties (which means only the seeds are consumed), the harvest of fresh beans is distinguished from that of dry seeds, which takes place 90 days after sowing.

Immature green pods are rich in vitamins A, B9, and C, as well as trace elements and minerals. Dry beans are also rich in vitamin C, trace elements, and especially vegetable proteins.

Harvesting: Harvesting of fresh beans or young pods begins 60 days after sowing. For fresh beans, it should be done before the pods start to dehydrate and develop wrinkles. The beans should barely take on their color. For pod consumption, harvesting will take place every 2 or 3 days, both at the tender and extra tender stages for string beans. Harvesting of dry beans is done by completely cutting the plant, which is then suspended in a dry and airy place. They can be shelled as needed.

Preservation: Freezing the pods is currently the most common method of preservation. To do this, remove the stems, wash the pods, blanch them for 5 to 6 minutes in boiling water, then plunge them into cold water and dry them with a clean towel. Once placed in a bag, the beans can be stored in the freezer at -18°C (-0.4°F). However, canning is regaining popularity among a growing number of consumers due to the inherent taste qualities of this preservation method. Like freezing, remove the stems, wash and blanch the beans, then immerse them in cold water. Place them in jars and fill them with salted boiling water. Seal the jars and sterilize them in a pressure cooker or sterilizer for 1 hour and 30 minutes over medium heat. To do this, completely cover the jars with water after securing them well.

Dry beans: When well-dried, bean seeds can be stored for up to a year if kept in good conditions, such as in airtight jars.

Gardener's tip: Beans, like all members of the Fabaceae family, have the ability to fix nitrogen from the air in the soil through a plant-bacteria symbiosis. They can therefore regenerate the soil. Beans can be included in crop rotation after burying green manure.
Traditionally, bean cultivation in Central and South America is associated with squash and maize, forming a beneficial triad. This association is locally known as Milpa. Beans also associate well with eggplants, carrots, cabbage, potatoes, and radishes as they mutually protect each other. However, avoid planting them near alliums or fennel as their growth is inhibited.

A spray of nettle manure effectively controls aphid attacks and strengthens the plants that have benefited from it.