How to Plant Blue Lake Bush Beans in Containers

Clean your plant pots thoroughly. All plants are susceptible to molds and diseases and the best way to prevent them is to keep a clean garden. Fill the pots with sterilized potting soil. Garden soil or topsoil can include weed seeds or disease spores, so avoid these in container gardening.

Plant two Blue Lake bean seeds about 2 inches apart and 1 inch deep, both near the center of the pot. Water thoroughly and cover loosely with plastic. When the seeds germinate and the seed leaves poke up through the ground, remove the plastic and move the pot to a warm, sunny location. When the plants reach 3 inches tall, clip off the weaker plant to allow the stronger one to grow and receive all the nutrients.

Feed your bean plants every other week with a water soluble plant food. Containers are a finite system so plants need a constant source of food from fertilizer. Water the container when the dirt is thoroughly dry, but don't soak the plants.

Turn your pots a 1/4 turn daily so that they get even amounts of sun on all sides. This helps the plants to grow straight and even. A good rule of thumb is to water the plants and then turn them at the same time every day.

Pick beans when they are filled out and smooth, but before they start to develop bumps inside to indicate large seed growth. Keep picking beans every two or three days and your plant will continue to grow more beans until the end of the season. When the harvest is done, discard the soil and clean the pot before storing for next year.