Sowing, Growing and Potting on Beans and Tomatoes

Welcome to the Food Up Front workshop on sowing and growing chillies & peppers, courgettes and potatoes. Whether you are completely new to growing your own food or have already experimented with your Food Up Front starter kit, we are sure that you will find this sowing and growing experience both enjoyable and rewarding.

Here are a few key things to keep in mind as you continue your food growing journey:

-  Most food crops thrive best in a sheltered, sunny position.

-  It’s best to water plants early in the morning or later in the evening. But if they look seriously thirsty, water them at any time.

-  Always use a fine rose on your watering can to water young plants so as not to damage them.

HAPPY GROWING!

Beans – Pea bean and Barlotta lingua di fuoco drying beans and Scarlet Emperor Runner Bean.

Sowing to harvest time: depending on variety, but approximately 12-15 weeks.

There are lots of different types of beans; Climbing French, Dwarf French, Drying Beans, Runner and Broad Beans.

Sow seeds for all the beans mentioned in a seed tray or other suitable container in a warm, preferably sunny position in early spring. In April – start off indoors on a windowsill to avoid frost, and May- June/July sow straight into soil outdoors.

Keep at 20°C (room temp) for best germination if starting indoors.

Keep the soil slightly moist, but not wet to avoid rotting off bean.

When the dicot – real parent leaves are showing, pot each seedling into 2” pots until ready to pot on into a 12” or larger container than can be used in conjunction with the appropriate support by May/June July.

Generally speaking – the larger the pod and plant, the bigger the space needed in between seeds, and the smaller the pod and plant, the more drought tolerant the plant. This is because of the requirements and demands placed on the soil by the plant.

Keep them all well watered and in full sun during their growing period if possible. A balanced organic fertiliser to support good leaf growth, seed germination, root development and disease resistance will help condition of plant. Use chicken pellets if you can bear the smell, comfrey and nettle fertiliser and seaweed fertilisers for example.

One combination for a mixed pot could be a few beans, a squash and a corn plant. This is a traditional American Indian trio, and they have a synergistic relationship; the bean feeds the corn, the corn gives the bean a climbing pole and the squash keep the moisture in the soil with its leafy cover and suppresses weeds.

Planting an edible flower in a bean pot will also ring the changes and help with pollination by attracting the insects.

Growing, supporting and harvesting Climbing French, Dwarf French and drying beans (Pea bean and Barlotta lingua di fuoco drying beans).

Pea Bean

Barlotta bean

Sowing indoors as mentioned above. May/July sowing – put seeds 5cm deep and 5 – 8cm apart in 12” or larger pots.

Climbing French beans will need taller supports as reach 180cm full height.

Dwarf French and Drying beans need support for 30-60cm height plants, so are less demanding.

Feed and water as directed above.

Begin picking Climbing French and Dwarf French beans when young to encourage further supply by the plants. Leave the drying beans on the plant until pods have dried out fully.

Pick all pods gently – to not disturb rest of plant if still productive. Climbing and Dwarf French can be washed and refrigerated for a few days or frozen. Drying beans, can be collected in dry pods, and stored in an airtight container for a short while before use. They need a long cooking period like other dried beans.

Growing Broad Beans

Sowing indoors as above. May/June sowing outdoors – put seeds 5cm deep and 12cm apart.

Plants may need support if projected as a type taller than 75cm – so experiment with growing structures.

Feed and water as above.

Pick young to encourage new supply. Can be washed and refrigerated, frozen or dried.

Growing Runner Beans – Scarlet Emperor Runner Bean.

Sowing indoors as above. Plant outdoors May/June 5cm deep and a good 20cm apart.

They are water hungry, and the plants can be helped by using newspaper to line to pot which will help retain moisture.

Plants will grow up to 2m high, so experiment with support structures!

Feed and water as above.

Pick young to encourage new supply. Can be washed and refrigerated, frozen or dried.

Tomatoes – Using Money maker (Vine type) Outdoor or under glass

Sowing to harvest time – About 20 weeks

Sowing – Sow 2 seeds per 3” pot March/April. Keep indoors until May at least for frost avoidance as the plants are very tender. Some are outdoor types and some indoor so check before anyone goes outside!

Potting on – Remove the weakest seedling to allow the stronger one to develop. You can move these into 6” pots and build up to a larger pot. Use general purpose compost.

Growing – When seedlings are 15 – 20cm high and you can see a few flowers starting to develop. This is when you plant into open ground, or take into 3 big 12” pots which can have their bases chopped off to sit in a grow bag with a 3” pot inside the top of each big pot to use for watering. Roots can then enjoy good watering, drainage, temperature control and room to develop.)

Feeding and watering – Tomatoes are greedy for feed and water, so water the soil directly often but don’t water leaves. Feed for leafy growth and strong roots and fruit = High nitrogen and potassium. Comfrey fertiliser is great!

Pinching out – Vine types of tomatoes grow as tall as they can given half the chance, so pinch them out after the indicated number of ‘trusses’ which are usually paired like stems that grow like arms, at right angles to the main stem either side. 3 trusses is usually the recommended amount, so pinch out the growing tip after the third truss so all the energy from the plant can go into producing your tomatoes!

There all also small side shoots that will sprout at 45 degree angles in- between the trusses and main stems, (nick named ‘old men’) which should be removed, to allow the plant to concentrate on producing fruit from the trusses.

Vine tomatoes need supporting to their full height, and sometimes, each truss. Use sticks, bamboo canes, hazel stakes, reclaimed chair backs, rope suspended from scaffold bar constructions or whatever is available and can fir in your space!

Bush tomatoes grow tomatoes on side branches. They don’t often have main stems. Centriflor type has the same habit. They don’t want any pinching out really, but will need stakes to support them.

Companion planting – Nasturtiums, basil….to attract pollinating insects and bring diversity to the balcony!

Harvesting and storing – Pick the tomatoes keeping the green hats on the fruit to help preserve their freshness

Watch out for pests – slugs/snails, blight, aphids etc. If blight attacks, (leaves all turn brown and spotty, which seems to spread – remove tomatoes immediately and remove plant to a hot compost bin! Wash all tools to avoid cross infection. Blight is a spore that likes humid conditions. Aphids can be controlled with a light soap wash, (Demo). Tomato plants are especially sensitive to vibration, which can increase cell growth – ever heard of tickling/talking to your tomatoes? R.H.S. are doing serious studies into this at the moment!

Food Up Front is a not-for-profit project.  We want more people to experience the joy of growing their own food.  Food Up Front is registered in England and Wales.  Company No. 6423958.  Registered Office: 16 Caistor House, Caistor Road, London, SW12 8PY.