Bush Bean Question

My first year with SFG although I've grown vegetables before. I downloaded a few planting guides including the one from SFG and read Mel's book. According to SFG, I should plant bush beans 9 to a square. Other guides give me anywhere from 1 - 4. One of my sections is 4x3 which would put me at 108 bush bean plants. Seems like way too many. I will be buying nursery stock in the little starter pots, not starting my own from seed. To further compound the issue, the tag from the Blue Lake variety I planted last year has a recommended spacing of 18" apart. To quote Vinny Barbarino, "I'm so confused". Guidance appreciated...

Best... Steve

I've never heard of buying nursery stock bush beans, Steve, since they are so easy to grow from seed. Seeds would certainly be a lot less expensive. But, nevertheless, I always plant the bush beans 9 per square and they do exceptionally well. I grow a lot of green beans for canning & freezing to get us through the winter, so I plant two 4'x4' sections with 9 plants per square (144 seeds for that, cost ~$5).  I also use bean inoculant, but that is another story.

When spacing seeds for the SFG method, use the "thin to" measurement for spacing. I suspect the 18" spacing you refer to is for "between rows", not between plants.  I just looked at the package of Blue Lake Bush Beans I have, and it says to "plant in rows 2' apart, and thin plants to 3" to 4" apart".  If you plant 9 per square, that is 4" spacing.

Here are some pictures of the Blue Lake Bush Beans last summer, planted at 9 per square....

I also have had good results with 9/square.  And when they seem to stopped producing, I've trimmed them severely & had them come back for a 2nd crop.