What Kind of Beans Should I Plant in My Earthbox?

Bean Types

• Beans are used either fresh or dried. Grow fresh green snap beans for their tender pods and dry beans for their edible seeds. Kidney, pinto and black beans are just a few examples of beans grown for the dried seeds. Fresh beans produce more vegetables in the small growing area inside an Earthbox since they produce several crops over the summer months. Dried bean plants only produce one crop that takes most of the growing season to reach maturity. If you have limited space in your Earthbox gardens, grow fresh beans so you can harvest the largest amount of produce from the small garden.

Bush Beans

• Bush beans grow about 2 feet tall and require no support to remain upright. They require minimal spacing so eight plants can fit inside a single Earthbox container. Half-runner beans grow upright similar to bush beans but reach a height of 3 feet at maturity. The beans don't require support, but you can fit more in an Earthbox if you use the Earthbox trellis system when growing them. If you grow half-runners as bush beans, follow bush bean spacing. Most dry beans and some fresh snap beans grow as bush varieties. Bush varieties of snap beans include Blue Lake bush, Kentucky Wonder, Provider and Tendercrop, which all grow well in containers. Half runners include Mountaineer White for fresh beans and Aztec Half for dry beans.

Pole Beans

• Most pole beans are fresh snap varieties. They require minimal soil space to thrive, making them well-suited to an Earthbox system. The plants grow as a long vine that reaches 4 to 6 feet in height at full maturity. The beans take about two months to harvest from seeding, and continue to produce as long as you keep harvesting the green pods throughout the summer season. Pole beans require a support to twine up as they grow. The Earthbox system comes with an optional trellis attachment or you can build your own from wood. Plant pole beans for the largest harvest from the Earthbox, since you can plant 16 bean plants per box. Blue Lake, Kentucky Blue and Kwintus are just a few of the pole bean varieties available to the home gardener.

Planting Tips

• Beans require minimal fertilization since they produce their own nitrogen in the soil. Prepare the Earthbox before planting as detailed in the instructions. Use only a soilless potting mix to ensure the subirrigation reservoir transfers moisture to the growing media successfully. Cover the box with black plastic mulch before sowing the bean seeds. Cut holes in the mulch for the seeds and sow the seeds about 1 inch deep. Keep the subirrigation chamber filled with water at all times during germination and growth. Position the Earthbox in a warm location that receives full sunlight. Choose a location protected from high winds if you are growing pole beans, otherwise the trellis may blow over.