Growing Cucumbers and Green Beans in Containers

[uniqueenigma]

My gardening zone is 9, and I live in Lehigh Acres Florida. Regarding the growing season when should I try to grow cucumbers and bush green beans? I would like to try and do so in summer, I'm just afraid that if I do, it'll be too hot for the veggies I want to grow (even though cucumbers and bush green beans prefer warm weather). Should I start to grow these types of vegetables in late spring due to living in a southern area of the united states?

This summer I would like to attempt to grow the compact varieties of cucumbers and green beans in containers.
The compact variety of cucumbers are known as "spacemasters", patio pak, and pot luck. It says to grow them in a 1 gallon pot. As far as the compact variety of green beans, they're simply known as bush beans.

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Are there any specific needs that a veggie grown in a container needs as opposed to growing it in the ground? Should I use a soiless variety of soil? The reason I ask this is because I know it will be more compact for the vegetables I'm growing, since I'm growing them in pots/containers. I was thinking of just using a mixture of peat moss (since it helps retain moisture)
and the soiless variety of soil since every bit of research I've done on container gardening with veggies recommends to use that type of soil.

As far as growing bush green beans I just have one question. I have a found a recommendation to grow them in a
5 gallon window box. However I find two problems with this; while it specifies to grow bush green beans in a 5 gallon window box, it doesn't specify whether this means you only grow one bush plant per one window box, or whether you can grow as many as plant spacing will allow without crowding them. Can somebody please give me clarification regarding this please? Other problem is, I don't know if I'll be able to locate a 5 gallon window box. If I can't, then can I just plant one bush green plant in a 5 gallon pot?

 

[babetoo]

i am planning to doing container gardening for vegs. and am just starting to learn myself. google it and you will find a lot of info. i also bought a book, on amazon, "crops in Pots" also very helpful. i wish us both good luck. not rocket science by any means

 

[tika]

i tried container gardering last year (tomatoes and cucumbers) and didnt get much from that. But my friend grows tomatoes in pots and she has dood harvest every time.

 

[babetoo]

well i do know a couple things from all my googling. plant in all purpose soil less medium. i would put them in a pot. not a window box. my sources also says they need to be feed almost each time u water. this is all just info. haven't planted anythings yet. but got the pots this week. plastic was recommended. have to drill holes yet.

 

[Katie H]

I did container gardening for many years with great success. I used empty huge plastic litter buckets and drilled 5 one-inch holes in the bottom for drainage. Always had great results until I was thwarted by too much shade. However, since we've had our nasty ice storm, I have no trees so there will be plenty of sun. I'll expect to have a good crop this year.

 

[kadesma]

Depending on the tomato that you choose you can container them..I find the small yellows and grape tomatoesto be prolific bearers and are wonderfully sweet. They need full sun, the larger tomatoes can be put in containers but will need some caging or staking ..Use a large container and give them full sun..As to green beans bush are your best bet, the others will need a trellis to climb on..I've never had them in a container so cannot help you there..I've put herbs, cucumbers, baby carrots,radishes, in containers..the cucumber i used were lemon and the dills made for pickles the other get to large for a container unless you use a trellis.
kadesma

 

[Claire]

If you are growing heavy feeders, I recommend going to your local place and buy bags of composted manure. I've never grown cukes or green beans in containers, but still do grow peppers and had some luck with plum tomatoes and cherry tomatoes ... for a couple of years. My very favorite container plant is called "super cayenne" peppers, which I use fresh all summer then dry and pulverize for the winter season. I grow them in big half-whiskey barrels along with marigolds. Makes a pretty container.

 

[2belucile]

When I lived in Toronto, used to plant cherry tomatoes and lettuce in containers in a small balcony, and also herbs: chives, basil, apart from some flowers. Is easy, and very rewarding !! Nothing taste more delicious than tomatoes you have grown yourself!!
In this address you will find a lot of information:
Vegetable Gardening in Containers
Go for it and do not be afraid of failure, you will be surprised how the plants will "answer" to your care!

 

[peeper76]

anyone grow cilantro indoors? Would like you input....

 

[Constance]

There are a couple of bush-style cucumbers that can be grown in a container quite easily. Green beans really do best in the ground, but the porch box idea would work as long as you give them plenty of feed and water. Personally, if I were going to grow green beans in a container, I would get the climbing variety and provide a trellis. I always loved growing pole beans as they're easier to pick. I grew them in big wire cages that we made from concrete reinforcement wire. (re-wire)

Here are several varieties of bush cucumbers:

Bush - Cucumbers - Vegetables - Burpee

There is also a tomato variety called Patio that is bred especially for pots. A doctor friend of mine always used to put four plants in pots on the railing of his front porch, and joked that he could sit on the porch with a cold beer and a ripe tomato while his friends were out sweating in the garden.
He often still had tomatoes for Thanksgiving.

Tomato Patio Princess Hybrid - Early Tomatoes - Tomatoes - Vegetables - Burpee

Lettuce, baby carrots and spinach are great for containers, too.

 

[Constance]

I forgot to mention radishes...they do great in a container as well. Try the Easter Egg mix...they're different colors

 

[callie]

Because I live at 8600+ feet, with a very short growing season, I always container garden. In years past I've put my tomatoes and peppers in large pots but this year I'm trying the topsy turvy containers. I planted my seeds March 15 and have lots of healthy-looking plants. My garden this year will be basil, chives, cilantro, several varieties of tomatoes and peppers, cukes and green beans.

Any ideas about whether or not the cukes and green beans can be grown in my upside down containers?

 

[babetoo]

this is my first container garden i have ever done. not an expert by any means. did do a lot of research on what to plant. i two have topsy turvy both with tomatos. i don't know of any reason that it would not work for cukes and green beans. give it a try and share what you learned with me.

 

[callie]

I will, babe. I haven't potted any plants into the topsy turvies yet. I think I'm going to leave the lids off and plant marigolds in the tops.

 

[callie]

I forgot to mention radishes...they do great in a container as well. Try the Easter Egg mix...they're different colors

Constance, I've never planted radishes - multicolored ones sound fun! Do you plant from seeds?

 

[babetoo]

I will, babe. I haven't potted any plants into the topsy turvies yet. I think I'm going to leave the lids off and plant marigolds in the tops.

left top off. going to plant cilranto and cat grass in the top.

 

[mcnerd]

I planted bell peppers this year in my upside down pot and it is very happy. In the top, not to waste good soil space, I planted cherry tomatoes.

 

[bandonjan]

I plant Sweet-100 cherry tomatoes in pots and they do great. Yellow "taxi", and pear tomatoes also do well. This year I'm trying a zucchini, so far it is growing well. Herbs do well in pots. I live on the coast and only have a small protected area to grow stuff, I put them out in the sun during the day and bring them back to the protected area at night. Lot of trouble, but worth it. Tomatoes in the store are yucky.

 

[lynseysnatural]

anyone grow cilantro indoors? Would like you input....

I did cilantro last year in a pot that I put outside for most of the summer and brought in when it got too hot and again in the fall - it was very easy (I went out of town a couple times and it survived without anyone watering it) and I had tons of cilantro throughout the late spring, all summer and early fall