Green Bush Beans are also known as French Beans,String Beans,Snap beans,or Green Beans and can be easily grown in India in containers or in pots.Bush beans are ideal for small spaced balcony gardens and terrace gardens alike.Here's a step by step pictorial guide on how to grow Bush Beans from seeds in pots or containers.The best time to grow bush beans in India is from June to February.
You can choose any type of pot or container to grow bush beans,it can be made of plastic,cement,terracotta or even a grow bag.Make sure it is about a foot deep,start by lining the base of the pot with dry leaves,gravels,brick pieces or coconut coir,make sure there is a hole for water drainage.
Next is to prepare the potting mix for the beans.Bush Beans thrive in soils that are rich in organic matter.Start by mixing together good quality garden soil,cocopeat,composted cow manure/compost/vermi-compost in a ratio of 2:1:1.Then mix them together to incorporate,Make sure the potting mix is light and has well draining quality to it.
Fill the potting mix into the pot or container that you have chosen to grow your bush bean in.Never fill the pot or container till the brim, always leave a little bit of space by an inch or two from the top of the potting soil,like shown in the picture above.
There are many varieties of Bush Bean seeds that are easily available in gardening shops/stores,online etc.They can be Hybrids or Heirlooms.Bush Beans also come in various colors like green,yellow,purple,black,burgundy etc.Choose whatever you like and want to grow accordingly.
You can either sow the seeds directly into the potting mix, use the paper towel method or you can also transplant saplings when the first true set of leaves have appeared.If sowing directly into the soil, sow the seeds about an inch deep and about 10 cms apart from each other in rows,cover with soil and then water well after sowing, till the seeds germinate and begin to sprout.The germination process can take anywhere between 3 to 10 days,depending on the temperatures and climate in your area at the time of growing.
Bush Bean plants are easily attacked by pests like white flies,black aphids and mites and powdery mildew,if you happen to see any ant activity around the bean plants,its a sure tell tale sign that the plants are infested with some pests.Always look under the leaves as many garden pests begin their life cycle there.
Bush Bean plants like all other bean plant varieties are great Nitrogen fixers they take in nitrogen from the air and fix them in the soil,bush bean plants make great companion plants for Eggplants,Cucumbers,Okra,Tomatoes etc.Bush Beans are light feeders so its always advisable to use low nitrogen organic fertilizer to fertilize them,high nitrogen levels will only encourage lush green growth,delayed fruiting and it will also inhibit the nitrogen fixing ability of rhizobia bacteria.
Bush Beans are early producers the first flowers begin to show when the plant has about 5 to 6 true leaves or when it reaches to about a foot in height . You can provide the plant with organic fertilizers,like home made compost,vermi compost or manure,you can also mix a tablespoon of epsom salts with a lire of water and water the bean plants.
Bush bean plants have a shallow root system,and they need daily watering or else the flowers will drop if the soil remains dry.
Keep on harvesting the beans so that the plant remains productive and keeps on producing more flowers which will turn into beans,the flowers are edible too.You can start a second batch of beans to that the growing season last longer.
Happy Gardening To All ☺☺☺
