IN THIS ARTICLE Equipment | Light and Temperature | Soil | Fertilizing | Containers | Harvesting
I first grew Green Beans with my parents when I was a kid. Green Beans are delicious eaten fresh from the plant or from your freezer in the depths of winter. Green beans are easy-care, fast-growing, and very productive, which makes them a perfect vegetable for novice and home gardeners. Depending on the variety you choose, Green Beans can take up very little space so they can be grown in raised garden beds or containers in a sunny corner. Whether you’re learning about plants or simply want to eat food you’ve grown yourself, learning how to grow food is an important part of environmental education and an excellent way to reduce your carbon footprint.
To grow delicious Green Beans yourself, you’ll need potting soil, a plant pot or container, a sunny space like a patio or balcony, and your favorite Green Bean seeds. It’s that simple.
What Equipment Do I Need To Grow Green Beans In A Container
No matter what you’re growing on your balcony or patio container garden, you need a small set of tools to help. They just make it easier to take care of your potted plants. My list includes a few of these tools, as well as items just for growing beans. Take a look at my detailed article “Essential Container Gardening Tools” for loads of ideas, however I’ve got a good summary below:
- Hand Trowel
- Hand Cultivator
- Watering Can
- Plant Pots or Containers
- Potting Soil Mix (good quality organic)
- Green Bean Seeds
- Sunshine
What Type Of Green Beans Should I Grow
There is a huge variety of beans that can be grown in gardens and containers. To help you make the correct choice, the different varieties of beans are grouped in several different ways.
- By their edible parts pods and/or seeds.
- How the beans are eaten, fresh whole bean pods, fresh seeds, or dried seeds.
- Described by the bean plants growth habit, bush or climbing/pole varieties.
For this article, we’re very interested in the last group, as this will help you choose the correct variety for the space you’ve got available.
Bush bean varieties grow between 12 to 24 inches tall. They grow fast and are easy to grow. Sow your seeds in late spring. The harvest usually begins in seven to eight weeks and lasts for around three weeks.
Climbing or Pole bean varieties can be runner beans or vine beans with plants that grow eight to ten feet tall. These varieties need support and more space than Bush bean varieties. They should be grown up a trellis or similar support. The harvest usually begins in eleven to twelve weeks and lasts for around six to eight weeks.
What Size Container Do I Need
If you’re not planting in garden beds, then choosing the correct plant pot or container is very important. You need to choose a container that is wide enough, deep enough, and free draining enough so your Green Beans will be happy.
TIP If you're repurposing a bucket as a plant pot, drill at least 6 small holes in the base to allow water to drain freely.
Bush bean varieties: Choose a large window box, plant pot, or container that’s at least 15 inches in diameter and at least 6 inches deep. Deeper than 6 inches is better to provide more space for the roots.
Climbing or Pole bean varieties: the container should be a minimum of 18 inches in diameter and at least 10 inches deep. It needs to be large enough to hold canes or another framework that will be used to support the plant. A container that is 30 inches (75cm) in diameter would support eight or nine plants.
TIP If you want to use grow bags, then choose Bush bean varieties. Climbing or Pole bean varieties are difficult to support.
The number of plants you can sow in a container depends on the diameter of the pot. As a rule, plan on planting seeds 2 inches apart.
What Soil Do I Need
Beans are not heavy feeders, however the soil needs to be breathable and free-draining. Avoid dense soils like garden soil or soil from the back yard, instead get a good quality Potting Soil Mix. It will make for a healthier bean plant. At your store, you may also find a specialty Potting Soil Mix, containing additional compounds such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium designed to be optimal for growing Beans. These soil mixes may be more expensive and less versatile compared to general types of Potting Soil, and for the average gardener these specialized Potting Soils aren’t required. Get a good quality All Purpose Potting Soil Mix like the example below.
OUR PICK Best All Purpose Potting Soil.
I like using a good quality Organic All Purpose Potting Mix, as I prefer to feed the soil and let the soil feed the plant. Whether you’re organic or not, the following applies just the same. Fill your containers or pots (you can even use planter bags) to half full with your Potting Soil. Fertilizer is optional, however try adding Organic Blood and Bone Meal into the Potting Soil mix. Follow the directions on the package, then mix it through the potting mix by hand (you should be wearing garden gloves as there may be bacteria present). Now top up the container or pot with Organic Compost to 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) from the top.
OUR PICK Best All Purpose Organic Potting Soil.
If you want to learn more about choosing Potting Soil, take a look at our article “How to Choose the Best Potting Soil for Your Container Garden“. It gives a detailed guide to choosing Potting Soil, so you can always pick what’s correct for the plants you’re growing.
How Do I Plant Green Beans
Beans dislike cold and are killed by frost, so start the seeds in pots indoors and plant out or move your pot out in late spring or early summer. Aim to seed when the soil temperature reaches 70 F (21 C). Most types of beans are direct seeded in garden beds and containers as they are so quick to germinate and grow and don’t respond well to transplanting.
For Bush bean varieties, sow the seeds 1 inch deep and 2 inches apart. When using a garden bed create rows 18 to 24 inches apart. When the plants are growing well, at approximately 2 weeks old, thin them to 6 inches apart.
TIP For a longer harvest, plant new beans every two to three weeks, or until about two months before the first expected frost.
Where Do I Put The Container
Green Beans love the sun, so choose a site with at least eight hours of daily sun. Raised garden beds are ideal, however, not everyone has the space for these, especially if you live in a townhouse or apartment. Growing your beans in pots or containers makes finding a great location easy – on your patio, balcony, or in a sunny corner will do just fine.
How Do I Care For Green Beans
To have happy beans, they like plenty of food, water, and sun. As I mentioned earlier, I prefer to feed the soil and let the soil feed the plant. To help this process I start by adding Organic Blood and Bone Meal into the Potting Soil mix before you plant your beans.
OUR PICK Best Organic Bone Meal Fertilizer.
Once your beans are established, fertilize your plants once every week with a diluted liquid fertilizer suitable for vegetables. Try to choose something that will feed the soil as well as the plant. I’ve had great results using a liquid Organic Kelp Fertilizer. As the fertilizer is a liquid, it’s easily added to your watering can. Apply the fertilizer in line with the product instructions. I’ve had wonderful results with both of the following products. Both are excellent and either one is worth the effort.
OUR PICK Best Organic Kelp Fertilizer.
TIP Here is a list of good-quality garden and container fertilizers.
Water, bean plants like a consistent level of moisture. Water as often as needed to keep the top 2 inches of soil moist (not wet) to the touch. Pay attention to watering especially when the plants are flowering and producing pods. I recommend watering early in the day. You can even spray leaves and flowers. Consistent moisture levels will result in a better harvest.
Sun, beans love the sun so put them in a place that will give them at least 8 hours of sun every day. If you live in a hot climate, make sure your bean plants don’t get burned by the sun. In some cases, you’ll need to experiment with your location to find the ideal place. In some of the hotter zones, it might be better to grow in winter.
You’ll notice my bean plants have been nibbled on by insects, that’s because I didn’t spray. Under the nibbled leaves you’ll see perfect beans! If you don’t really need to spray for insects, then don’t. So what if they nibble on a leaf here and there. If you do need to discourage insect pests, use products that contain Neem Oil, or simply remove the insects by hand.
How Do I Harvest Green Beans
Beans can be picked at any size however, most are ready when they are 4 to 8 inches long. Gently pluck the beans from each stem, being careful not to damage the surrounding plant. Did you know, the more beans you pick, the more beans you get. Yes, pick ripe green beans every few days to encourage your plants to produce more pods. The removal of the ripe green bean pods will encourage the plant to produce new flowers. Leaving the bean pods in place will signal to the plant to stop producing new flowers and to put all its energy into maturing the pods for seeds.
TIP Near the end of the season, leave some pods to mature. Keep these pods to provide seed for next season.
What Should I Do With All These Green Beans
If you’re doing this for the first time, you’re going to be surprised by just how many beans you get. Beans are delicious eaten fresh however, you need to do something with all the excess. Excess fresh beans can be given to family and friends or preserved to eat later. The easiest way to preserve your beans is to blanch and freeze them. Once frozen, you’ll get to enjoy the fruits of your labor at any time of year. For step-by-step instructions take a look at “How to Freeze Green Beans at Home“.
Conclusion
Growing and eating your own vegetables is a real pleasure. If you’re going to grow any vegetable yourself, then Green Beans are one of my favorite choices. Green Beans are easy-care, fast-growing, very productive, and best of all delicious. They are a wonderful choice for growing in a plant pot or container, so they are perfect for indoors, patios, and balconies. You don’t need a lot of space, are you seeing this apartment dwellers? Don’t wait any longer, try growing Green Beans in a container today.
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