Green beans: newbie questions

 

When is the correct time to start off sowing green beans indoors?
Some people say March, others say April...
The idea is to get them started indoors, then plant alongside a garden
fence.

I get through lots of plastic coffee cups from the vending machine at
work -- Could I use these to start seeds off? If so, do they need a
drainage hole in the bottom.

Thanks
Bruce

 

these words:


  Ideally you want to plant them outside (hardenerd off)  with not more
than 4 leaves, after last frost. They grow very quickly to that size
indoors. Now is much too soon, and April might be (depending where you
live).

  Many people plant half the seed a fortnight later, halving the risk of
losing seedlings and extending the cropping season.


 yes

If so, do they need a

   Now is a good time to prepare their eventual bed in the garden.

  Janet.

 


Thanks, I gave it a dig over a few weeks back when it was pretty mild.
Then came the hard frosts, so thats OK.

My new veg patch is about 6ft x 4ft. I plan to grow green beans up
round two sides which are covered by fences. Then maybe a couple of
rows of spuds in the centre (I'm currently chitting these indoors).

Question: I would also like to grow a few carrots. Could I do this in a
compost bag?
Bruce

 



OK short answers
Yes, yes,yes!

Start the beans when you are ready. March is good. April is also good.
Start some now, some in two weeks and some more two weeks later.
Plant half of each batch out when you think frost has passed and the other
half three weeks later.

This should give you six trenches in different stages of readiness. Try some
planted out directly too.

Make a note of which give you the best results, remember for next year!

Plastic cups for starter seeds. - Yes. But consider newspaper pots.
Should they be holed? - Yes

And sat in a tray/window box of gravel.. Water the gravel, not the plants.
Let the plant find its way down to the water.

HTH

Dave

 

4 weeks later on and Batch No. 1 is shooting up. The shoots are about
4-6 inches high!
It's not yet warm enough to plant out. Should I "pinch off" the top
growth -- looks like they may get spindly if they keep growing.

Thanks,
Bruce