How to Grow Broad Beans in a Container

Video transcription

Hi, my name is Bob Linde. I'm an herbalist and an herb grower. Today, I'm going to talk to you about how to grow broad beans in a container. Broad beans, like many other different types of beans, although not traditionally grown in a container, certainly can, with a little bit of forethought. So ideally, I always recommend that any type of bean is actually a great addition to the garden since it often times helps to fix nitrogen into the soil which can be very beneficial for many plants but if you don't have the luxury of having an area that you can do some gardening in, a container garden is certainly your next best choice. Ideally, you want to make sure that you've got a large enough pot that your roots can spread out a little bit and provide the support that you need for that broad bean or any bean to grow up a little bit higher. And also we want to make sure that it has something that it can climb on so I often times will use some bamboo which lasts pretty long in a pot and we can go ahead and add a small trellis or the bamboo stakes in order for it to grow up a little bit on. And oftentimes, it will continue to grow for quite a while so it can be helpful to set your pot near a wall or a tree or some other large hedge or bush that it can go ahead and expand even beyond the pot and its little climbing tools that you put in there for it. So, when we're going ahead we can go ahead and go down to our local garden supply store, find the particular bean, whether it's broad bean or another type of bean that's going to fit our needs more specifically and then follow the directions on the back. It's going to be very specific for your particular zone and the time that you plant and most often when we're talking about all the different types of beans and peas, it's a really good idea to soak those beans overnight. Oftentimes I'll just get a wet cloth and wet it well and then wrap the beans in there before I plant them. Overnight is wonderful and we can go ahead and place those in the soil. It will get them sprouting a little bit faster, water them in well and keep the soil moist until we go ahead and see that first little head of the bean start to come up and they're fast growers which is always a great one for kids to work with because they're always excited when two weeks later they're already starting to see the first leaves come out of that pot or out of the garden. So this is Bob Linde, talking to you about how to grow broad beans in a pot. Please enjoy your herbs.