You can grow beans in a pot without any trouble. Kidney beans belong to the common beans and a good source of protein, vitamin B6, folic acid, magnesium, and have antioxidant properties.
It is best for patients with diabetes due to the rich fiber which controls sugar levels from rising too rapidly. The scientific name of kidney beans is Phaseolus vulgaris and it comes in different colors such as red, white, cream, black, striped, spotted, and purple.
When you grow kidney beans in a pot then make sure the roots should not get waterlogged. This can easily control by using a well-drained soil and remember your pot has a drainage hole at the bottom. You can grow kidney beans as vines or bushes, it depends on the type which you choose for growing.
MOST COMMON VARIETIES OF KIDNEY BEANS
Beans are one of the most commonly eaten foods. Kidney beans have dark red-colored skin with a slightly sweet and nutty flavor. The shape of kidney beans is just like a kidney.
They can be used for cooking hot and cold recipes. One cup of cooked kidney beans provides you with 45.5% of fiber. Here we are giving you some options of kidney bean varieties.
CANNELLINI BEAN
This variety belongs to white beans. The other names of this variety are white kidney bean and fascia bean. They are famous for their smooth texture and nutty flavor.
CRANBERRY BEAN
The color of this bean is just like hazelnut and has medium size. Mild and nutty flavor famous in northern Italy. During the cooking process, they lose their beautiful color. You should soak at least four hours before cooking it.
DARK RED KIDNEY BEAN
The darker and smaller red beans are a great treasure of protein and fiber. They have a smoother taste which makes them my favorite of most.
MEXICAN RED BEANS
They are similar to the red kidney beans but smaller in size. They have a mild taste and smooth texture. You can use them in soups, salads, and other dishes of your choice. The name shows that it is used in Mexico.
YIN YANG BEAN
The delicious pods of this type of bean can be eaten young. They can be used in soups and casseroles. When you leave them for drying then you will see their black and white color.
WHEN TO PLANT KIDNEY BEANS IN A POT?
The best time of planting kidney beans is when the temperature is between 65-80 °F or 18-26 °C. They can’t transplant well so directly sow them in your desired location.
The best time is spring after the danger of the last frost passed. You can get all the information about the last frost date from your local nursery. As you are growing them in the pot and if you are placing your pot inside your home so you can plant the seeds early. But if you will keep your pot outside then you can’t plant too early because the seeds will rot.
PREPARING THE SOIL FOR YOUR POT FOR GROWING KIDNEY BEANS
If you are growing the beans in the pot then you can maintain the fertility of the soil by adding all the necessary organic materials. Nutrients in the soil will give you healthy and full nutritious beans which are good for your soil.
> Don’t use garden soil in your pot as you will not get high-quality beans. As is mentioned above the soil in which you are growing beans must be well-drained.
> The soil which is loose and dry is preferred for planting beans. Heavy soil is not perfect for your kidney beans. You can use sand or organic manure for improving the condition of your soil. These amendments will improve the texture of the soil and makes it the perfect medium for providing all the necessary nutrients which your plant needs.
> The pH of the soil must be neutral means between 6 to 7. You can check the pH of the soil with the help of a kit. The simple soil test will help you a lot and give you better results.
> You can mix a powdered inoculant into the soil. This is a natural bacterium that helps beans to absorb nitrogen from the soil in the early days of growth.
PLANTING OF KIDNEY BEANS
USE SEEDS INSTEAD OF SEEDLINGS
For planting kidney beans in the pot, you need seeds. Keep in your mind the bean plants can’t survive so plant permanently in your desired location. Avoid using seedlings for the planting process, use seeds. Kidney beans’ seeds can easily germinate when they get desired suitable conditions.
CHOOSE A LARGE POT
You can grow kidney beans in a large container if you provide all the required conditions.
- The diameter of the pot should be 12 inches or 30.5cm.
- You should choose a bush variety for growing in a pot. The reason is that bush variety can adjust in a confined space. The production of beans is not enough if you grow beans in a pot. If you want to get beans regularly then grow at least 6 to 10 plants.
- Only one plant can adjust in a pot. It means you need 6 to 10 pots for growing the desired quantity of kidney beans.
ADD EXTRA GRAVEL TO THE POT
Before filling the pot with the soil you need to add a layer of gravel at the bottom of it. It will improve the drainage quality of your pot and the roots of the kidney beans will not waterlog inside the pots. It will make your pot well-drained and the soil will work great for the growth of your bean plants.
FILL YOUR POT WITH HIGH-QUALITY SOIL
Now fill the pot with high-quality soil so your plants get all the basic nutrients from the soil. Garden soil will not work well for growing plants in a pot.
The growing of plants in a pot makes it possible for you to maintain the soil according to the requirements of your plants. It is not possible in the ground beds.
If you are facing the problem of limited space then pots will make it possible for you to grow plants even in an apartment. You can set the pots on the balcony or near a window where your plants get enough light to grow well.
Without sunlight, your plants will wither so choose the location for your plants where they get proper sunlight for growing fast and provide you with the desired quantity of beans.
PLANT THE SEEDS DEEP ENOUGH
Now your pot is ready for sowing seeds. But you should be careful while sowing seeds. Sow the seeds in the middle of the pot as you are growing one seed in one pot.
The second important thing is depth, the depth at which you sow the seeds should be 1-½ inches or 2.5-3.8cm in the soil. Now the planting process is complete.
DAILY AND LONG-TERM CARE
Here we are going to give you some tips when you follow them you will get healthy beans and fast production.
WATER ONLY WHEN THE SOILS DRIES OUT
Keep in mind kidney bean plants don’t like soggy soil so never allowed the soil to get too wet. Heavy moist soil will damage the roots of the plants. You should water the plants when you see the soil is dry.
You can do this with the help of your finger. Your finger can feel the moisture level of your soil. When you feel the soil needs water then fulfill the needs of your plants. Extra water is not good for your plants. If you see the soil is dry at least 1 inch down from the surface then water it.
AVOID HIGH NITROGEN FERTILIZER
Nitrogen-based fertilizers will make the plant leafier, in this way, the whole energy of the plant will be stored in the leaves, not in the beans.
If you want a healthy and large quantity of beans then avoid using high nitrogen fertilizer because in that case, the nitrogen will help your plants to produce leaves rather than edible beans.
It is important to note that when bean plants get started they can produce nitrogen inside their roots. If you add more nitrogen to the soil then the quantity of nitrogen will increase which is not good for your plants.
If you feel that your plant is facing the problem of lack of nutrition then you can add a reasonable amount of organic fertilizer without nitrogen.
BE CAREFUL WHEN REMOVING WEEDS
This is a very important tip when you are removing the weeds from the soil then do this task very gently. Because the roots of kidney beans don’t like to be disturbed that’s why we can’t transplant them. Accidentally disturbing will damage the roots of the kidney plants.
When you are removing weeds never chop up them with the help of how or trowel around a kidney bean plant. The best way is to remove weeds with your hands by gently pulling.
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HARVEST AND STORAGE
You can harvest bush varieties at the end of the growing season. The maturity time of beans depends upon the variety which you are growing in your pot but generally, kidney beans are ready to harvest after 90 to 150 days.
The question arises in your mind how can you check the beans are ready for harvest. When you touch the matured bean pods you feel them dry and the beans inside the pods become very hard.
Before harvesting, you can take one pod for checking. Take out beans from the pod and carefully bite down one. If your teeth can dent the bean, it means you should allow them to dry for a longer period.
PULL PLANTS EARLY IF NECESSARY
There are different reasons which make you harvest earlier for example dropping temperature and unfavorable conditions. In that case, you can pull kidney plants early and let the beans finish the drying process.
If the humidity level in your environment is very high then it is very difficult for your bean plant to dry so you should keep them inside of your house so they can dry soon.
Remove the plants from the soil and hang them upside down by the roots till the pods seem dry and the beans inside them become hard. The air circulation inside your home should be good so the beans will dry quickly.
BREAK THE PODS APART
After picking the pods from the plant you should break them. Open and pull out all the beans after completing the maturity process your beans will be very hard and dry.
STORE THE BEANS IN A DARK SPOT
After harvesting place the kidney beans in an airtight jar or bag and store them in a dark and dry place. You can store dried beans for up to 1 year if you provide the right conditions.
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