Prefer French and runner beans in the pot: Instructions

There are higher chances of successful self-cultivation of French and runner beans by growing them in pots. Everything you need to know, including instructions for sowing, can be found here.

Advantages of pre-breeding

• Earlier sowing means earlier harvest and longer harvest time
• By preferring more robust young plants in the garden bed, thus more resistant to diseases and pest infestation
• Less susceptible to snail damage
• No frostbite and / or developmental disorders due to fluctuating weather conditions
• Often higher crop yields

Suitable locations to be preferred

For the earlier sowing of French and runner beans, all locations that offer frost-free to room temperatures are ideal. This can be the unheated or heated greenhouse, but also the window sill in the kitchen or the bright garden shed.

The location should meet the following conditions:

• A minimum temperature of ten to twelve degrees Celsius
• The ideal ambient temperature is between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius (the warmer, the faster germination and more robust plants)
• High humidity
• Wind and draft protected
• Bright, but not in direct sunlight

Best time to sow

While runner beans and French beans are to be sown in the open-air bed at the earliest in mid-May after the ice saints, the pre-breeding season begins in March. When exactly depends on the ambient temperature:

• From the beginning of March: in heated rooms
• From the end of March: in unheated rooms with at least ten degrees Celsius

Prepare seeds

Experienced self-growers and hobby gardeners always prepare the seeds before sowing because this promotes germination. That's how it's done:

• Lightly sand each seed with a nail file or the like in one place (allows moisture to be absorbed more quickly)
• Then let it soak in water for at least half a day / overnight, better 24 hours (promotes germination)

Choose and prepare the pot

To ensure that the sowing of runner beans and French beans works without any problems, a few details must be observed when selecting and preparing the pot:

Pot size and shape

The diameter of a pot depends on how many young plants are to be placed in it. Although the shape of the pot is irrelevant, the space in square pots can be better used if several bean seeds are to be sown. Elongated boxes, such as the classic balcony box, are also ideal for several plants.

In principle, the following guidelines can be adhered to:

• There is space in the pot of at least 5 x 5 centimeters for each seed
• Bush beans are shallow roots - the pot does not have a particular depth
• Runner beans are Deep roots - Even as a young plant, they are increasingly looking for the way down - a pot depth of around 15 centimeters is recommended

drainage

The soil must be kept moist throughout for germination. So that no overwatering or waterlogging occurs, the pot must have a drainage hole and the bottom of the pot must be equipped with a drainage before filling with soil / substrate. It is sufficient to put a one to two centimeter high layer of gravel or quartz sand on the bottom of the pot. Pottery shards also serve the purpose of drainage.

Soil / substrate

One of the most important details for germination and ideal development of sown runner beans is the use of a suitable substrate. Potting soil is usually very poor in nutrients. Pole and French bean seeds prefer a nutrient supply, so that normal potting soil, but also special substrate for vegetable plants, can be used. The soil must be moistened immediately before the seeds are distributed.

Tip: When buying normal potting soil, attention should be paid to good quality and cheap products should be avoided. The latter have an increased risk of contained pests or pathogens and can often compact very quickly, so that optimal water permeability is no longer given is.

Sow bean seeds properly

• Press individual seeds about one to two centimeters into the soil
• Cover lightly with soil (dark germs)
• If there are several seeds, keep a distance of 5 x 5 centimeters
• Pour soil lightly (do not flood, otherwise bean seeds will swim around)
• Stretch the translucent film over the pot to ensure humidity
• Place the pot in a suitable location
• Open the foil once a day to exchange air
• Keep soil continuously moist
• Germination time: between six and ten days
• Make sure that the film does not lie on the shoot - there must be sufficient distance to undisturbed growth
• Foil can be removed 14 days after germination
• From the beginning of May, slowly accustom the young runner beans and French beans to the outdoors, occasionally in the sun
• Plants in the vegetable patch from mid-May
• Young plants are extremely robust for outdoor planting from a height of between 15 and 20 centimeters

Tip: If the runner beans are not to shoot up enormously, it is advisable to choose a variety that reaches a low stature, such as the “Rakker” variety.