By gisette
Indoor Bush Beans
Submitted on Sat, 2009/04/11 - 1:18pm
Last updated on Sun, 2009/05/10 - 12:57pm
Posted in
2009-03-28: planted Contender Bush Beans (Burpee) on my daughter's windowsill. (She's very fond of fresh-picked green beans.) Used inoculant. My container bush beans last year were unimpressive. Supposed to harvest in 55 days.
Inspired by Jessi, of course. You're quite an inspiration, Jessi! 
2009-05-09: Wow! Harvestable beans by tomorrow, 44 days. Packet claims 60 days. Not going to count harvest - they're my daughter's to eat.
Sat, 2009/05/02 - 5:45pm
#2
My windowsill bush beans are flowering. 
Right on time for a 55-day harvest. Not bad for a western windowsill.
I wonder if these need any pollination efforts. Jessi - do you know, from your AG kit instructions?
Sun, 2009/05/03 - 12:23pm
#3
Ah, never mind. Only 2-3 days from blooms to little beans! 
Mon, 2009/05/04 - 8:15am
#4
Hi Gisette,
Pretty blooms! I would never have even considered growing beans inside until I found this group. I am definitely going to try this along with the seedling peas I got from pinetree next fall.
https://www.superseeds.com/products.php?search=82910
Beth
Sun, 2009/05/10 - 12:57pm
#5
2009-05-09: Wow! Harvestable beans by tomorrow, 44 days. Packet claims 60 days. Not going to count harvest - they're my daughter's to eat.
(Edit : had wrong 2nd picture. Can see yellow sticky trap Beth suggested - major decrease in gnats between that and the neem-oil based spray on the soil! Never spray that stuff on leaves again, though...)
Sun, 2009/05/10 - 11:15pm
#6
U have beans! 
U are so lucky!
No fair! I dont have any beans whatso ever. I think AG green bean seeds suck. I need to toss mine and get some different seeds.
Mon, 2009/05/11 - 12:35am
#7
Are your soil-based beans coming along any better, Jessi? I thought you had flowers a while back?
One of the warnings I've always heard about beans, is to be careful planting them when it's too wet, because the seeds'll rot. They may just not be a good fit for hydroponics.
These grew surprisingly fast, though. Maybe the soil inoculant really did the trick.
Mon, 2009/05/11 - 8:52am
#8
The flower on your green beans is really pretty. I've never seen a flower like this.
I've been thinking about how I could grow a few things in an earthbox, or growbox, because some of what I want doesn't seem to do well in aero or hydro. And want to use the sun, not lights. I have one spot in my backyard that might be ok. Any advice anyone?
Mon, 2009/05/11 - 11:12am
#9
I love my growboxes! And they're cheaper than Earthboxes (fertilizer included). And make more use of rainfall - handy in Orlando. But Earthboxes have wheels. Depends on what your yard is like, whether that's a good idea.
Some of the big heavy-hitter plants need 6+ hours of sun a day, like tomatoes and cukes and zukes. (I thought peppers as well, but they seem less demanding, even if they'd do better with 6+ hours of sun a day.) You might want to consult with a garden center, about the right time of year to put tomatoes out in Orlando, or a special heat-thriving variety. They love heat, but apparently there's such a thing as too much. (Those temperatures make only brief visits to shoreline Connecticut. 
) If you can't muster up 6+ hours of sun, I'm sure you could still find things to grow.
Whether due to not using inoculant, insect pests, too much fertilizer, or what, my pole beans got huge in the growbox but failed to produce beans. No luck with bush beans, either. Not using the growboxes for beans anymore.
Mon, 2009/05/11 - 6:19pm
#10
Yes, growing in Orlando is challanging, with heat being a major problem. Our growing season isn't in the summer. Except for a few things that can take the heat. Right now we're getting unseasonable record heat. Planting tomatoes outside is usually best in mid-February for instance. If timed right (I have my husband's lists somewhere) one can still have a great garden here if willing to put in the time to fight the bugs. The more I think and talk about this the more I think I probably wouldn't be able to handle it. I really like the hydro/aero growing, but not happy with the limited production, and the added cost of the lights.
When my husband was alive he had a fabulous big garden going with lots and lots of produce. I guess I got spoiled. But the meager harvests inside are really the source of my dissatisfaction, so I've been trying to come up with something I could do outside. I guess it's time to give up on that idea.
I did look up the grow boxes, and if I decide to try it anyway, that would probably be what I'd do. Unless Peat could come up with some easy to put together plans. .
Aw!!!! 10 big internet hugs for You!