Beans on My Balcony

Beans are great balcony plants. They can be grown in the same size five gallon pail I use to grow tomatoes and peppers. This applies to both bush and pole beans. Bush beans will not need support and pole beans can be grown up a trellis placed in the container. I like to use bamboo canes to make a tripod for growing pole beans in containers.

This year I will be planting, it is still a bit more than three weeks before I can plant the bean seeds outside, Wild goose beans and golden wax beans. Both are heat lovers. Both demand full sun. This means I will be placing them on the second floor balcony which gets a minimum of eight hours of sunlight each summer day and can get quite warm.

Growing any plant in a container on a balcony requires the grower to pay a little more attention to the plant's water needs. Containers can dry out faster than the earth does and may need to be watered more often.

Soil is the key to healthy plants, whether they are grown in the earth or in a container, healthy soil helps ensure healthy plants. This year because we moved and my composter stayed where it was, I will be buying soil, organic soil.

The first plant out date here in northern New Brunswick is about June 7; it has been a cool spring so I may wait a bit or will use a mulch in the container when planting. To mulch a container cover the top with mulch move a bit aside for the seed and plant according to the seed pack.

I also will be using a garden inoculant specifically meant got peas, lima and snap beans. This inoculant is a naturally occurring bacteria that aids growth and adds to soil fertility. Container soils can use the help.

It is possible to grow the pole beans along the balcony railing, I have done this with peas but not beans as yet. You will need to encourage them to grow this way but it is not that difficult.

I like growing beans on my balcony because:

1- the balcony is close to the kitchen so the plants are easy to care for.

2- Beans are fairly simple to grow as long as they get the sun and water, they should do fine.

3- bean seeds are likely the easiest plant seeds to save. You pick the pod when it is ready and either save the seeds or put them aside for cooking, plants will give both readily.

The bean seeds are in a small brown envelope which is in a larger brown envelope which is in the fridge, I like to keep the seeds cool and in the dark. In a little over three weeks time I will plant them in containers on my balcony. Growing beans on my balcony is easy to do and it takes little time and effort to maintain them. A few bean seeds can go and grow a long way, enjoy.