HOW TO GROW GREEN BEANS IN CONTAINERS

Beans is another popular vegetable which we can grow in containers.   It is fun and easy to grow and can even thrive indoors.

NUTRIENT VALUE

It is rich in fiber.  Good source of Vitamins B6, B2, C and K.

VARIANTS

Green Beans comes in two type of variants

POLE: It grows on vine and need a pole or support to grow up.

BUSH: It grows in small bushy type shape and doesn’t require any support.

SEASON/ TEMPERATURE

It is a warm season crop and requires good amount of heat/ direct exposure of Sun. It requires warm temperature to grow properly and needs 7 – 8 hours of direct sunlight.

PROPAGATION

Sow seeds in seedling trays or small containers for transplanting later after germination.  It will take 3 – 6 days to germinate but wait for another 2-3 weeks or when the height of seedling reaches 4” before transplanting. Beans seedlings are very sensitive and needs to be hardened if moving from indoors to outdoors.  After transplanting keep your pots under shade for another 1-2 weeks.  If you are planting 2 or more plants in one pot (your pot should be large enough), be sure to keep at least 6” spacing between the plants.

3 WEEKS OLD SEEDLINGS

CONTAINER/ POT SIZE

Minimum container size recommended is 8” H x 14” W, however best is to use 12”or larger size as I recommend in my all posts, the bigger the better.  One of the benefit of using large container is plant needs to be less watered.  The pot should also have several unobstructed drainage holes to help balance out the moisture level of the soil. Drainage hole allows excess water to leave the pot.

SOIL

Loose well-drained rich soil enrich with organic matter.  Equal parts of planting mix and potting soil will do. It provides an aerated, medium density environment for roots to expand and access nutrients.

FERTILIZER

Beans are not very heavy feeders.  Feed them with Cow’s dung/ Compost Tea once in every 30-45 days is enough.

WATERING

Water regularly but also keep an eye on the moisture level of the pot and do not over-water neither let them dry out fully.  Keep it moist but not muddy. avoid watering leaves.

IT REQUIRES SUPPORT
Pole beans grows upward hence it requires support.  Give it with a long stick, pole, fence, grill or other means of support.  You can use a tomato cage or make a net structure above the plant using nylon rope.  Bush beans require no special support.  .  Give it a support by fence, grill or other means of support. 

CARE

Green Beans is very easy to grow but they are prone to certain diseases such as powdery mildew, Rust Mosaic, Bacterial Blight and Anthracnose.  Defeat them with the help of Neem Oil.

HARVESTING

Most of the varieties of beans are ready to harvest after 45-70 days.  The pods begin to bulge when they are ready. Best is to pick when the pods are in medium size.  Cut them off carefully so that the damage to the plant can be avoided.

Look forward to your feedback and suggestions.

Happy gardening.