growing green beans in containers

Beans are a must-have on the homesteader’s menu.

They’re easy to grow, they produce a lot of food, and they are multipurpose.

You can grow them for green beans, or for shelling/dry beans!

There are dozens and dozens of bean varieties, both bushes and vines.

For containers, I recommend vining varieties (also known as pole beans.)

These beans take up less space on the ground, which is most vital in small spaces when micro-homesteading.

Plus, need we mention the AMAZING things that this plant can do to your soil, such as nitrogen fixation???







What Size Containers Do Green Beans or Shelling Beans Need?


Beans will need at least one gallon containers for a mediocre harvest. You could plant 2 to 3 seeds per gallon container (such as an old milk jug, for example) and utilize several containers to grow a fairly good crop. You will need a large trellis area for the beans to grow up; a great solution is to mount a length of chicken wire against your home or work shop on the southern sunny side. When grown intensively, you simply must feed the bean plants often to ensure a harvest. If you have the space, try limiting 2 plants to a 5 gallon bucket for a better harvest.

Be sure to pick your green beans regularly to keep production up, otherwise the plant will decide to quit producing. Its one job is to procreate via seed: if you continue to pull the green bean pods, it will continue to grow more in an effort to ensure that the next generation will have a fighting chance. If the pods are left to mature (as is the case with shelling or dry beans) the plant will stop producing as pods begin to mature.







When to Plant Green Beans In Containers?


You should wait to plant your green beans until the growing season is well underway. Green bean bushes or vines do not like cool or cold temperatures; therefore, you need to wait until all freezes and frosts are over. I recommend waiting until 2 weeks past your last frost date. This will nearly guarantee that your plants are not hit by a cold kill off, requiring you to replant. In addition, green beans in containers will not have the same radiating warmth from within the earth, increasing the risk of a kill off if cold temperatures settle in.



growing green beans in containers



Can Green Beans and Shelling Beans Be Grown Vertically?


While it’s a given that green beans do grow vertically, this might not be enough on the smallest homesteads. Rather than having the container on the ground with the plant growing upwards, why not mount the plant onto a wall?

If you have a privacy fence or are willing to mount the plants on the outside wall of your home, green beans are excellent candidates. You may want to look into a very light soil-less medium in order to reduce the weight of the containers, though. Several sets of gallon containers with heavy soil could cause issues with a fence, including bowing or breaking. Please take this into account when mounting your plants; and mount your heaviest ones directly onto support posts. This will direct the weight downwards, into the ground, where the concreted footing lies.

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