Growing beans in toilet paper rolls is a great way to reduce waste and an easy and affordable option for starting your bean seeds indoors before transplanting them outside. Beans don’t like to be disturbed once they start growing, they’re basically teenagers, and transplanting the seedlings from small pots to the garden can lead to transplantation shock and root damage. Toilet rolls not only make great starter pots for bean seedlings, but are also fantastic small portable planters. After the seedlings are planted in the soil, with time the paper roll will disintegrate without a trace. Planting bean seedlings out can be fun and so easy, so continue to read!
When To Plant Out Bean Seedlings?
Bean Seedlings should be planted out 2 weeks after the last frost in your area, and the seedlings have at least 2-3 whole leaves. This timing allows the seedlings to establish roots and thrive after transplanting. It’s also important to wait until the soil temperature is warm enough, around 60-65 °F (15-18 °C), for optimal bean growth. You should harden off your seedlings before planting out by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions for a week prior to moving them.
Hardening Off Seedlings
About 7 days before planting your plants outdoors, help acclimate them to temperatures, sunlight, and wind. This is the process of hardening off, or gradually acclimating your new plants to outdoor conditions. These plants have spent their short lives in a warm, sunny, protected place and won't fare well if you don't expose them slowly to the elements. ‘Hardening off’ is the vital process of getting your seedlings ready for transplanting outdoors.
Want to read: How to Harden Off Seedlings for Transplanting
Just remember when you are about to plant out bean seedlings, there is no chance of frosting. Even late frost can happen and damage the seedlings instead. So, when wait until the last frost during spring is over, then begin to transplant out your bean seedlings!
Where To Grow Beans
Beans prefer to grow in moist, fertile soil, in a sunny, sheltered spot, and an acidic to neutral pH (6.0–7.0).
Preparing The Ground
- Beans prefer to grow in moist, fertile soil, in a sunny, sheltered spot.
- Remove any Weed from the ground thoroughly.
- Beans like growing in a sunny, sheltered position.
- Beans do best when they are grown in nutrient rich soil which retains moisture.
- A few weeks ahead of planting out bee seedlings, work in lots of garden compost or well-rotted manure. I always use well rotted chicken manure, this natural organic fertilizer will enrich the soil. Chicken manure for vegetable garden fertilizing is excellent. As a non-synthetic organic fertilizer, this kind of manure has numerous benefits. It is a complete fertilizer that contains the macronutrients' nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, as well as important micronutrients such as calcium needed for healthy plant growth.
Watch Adding Chicken Manure to The Garden Soil and Its Benefits Video
Planting Out Seedlings
- Pick a new location with fertile soil that drains well and gets lots of suns.
- With a hand shovel, dig a hole large enough for the tube, and amend the soil with compost or other organic matter. I always use well rotted chicken manure before planting any seedlings and that's all for all the growing season, beans don't typically need supplemental fertilizer because they fix their own nitrogen in the soil.
- Place one bean seedling in the hole.
- Fill around the seedlings with soil and with your hand gently make e pressure to confirm their firm placement.
- Bush beans produce most of their beans all at once on sturdy plants., so stagger your plantings every two weeks to get a continuous harvest.
- For a continued harvest that lasts all summer, sow seeds every 2 weeks.
How To Care For Beans
Watering
Beans are thirsty plants and do like plenty of moisture, water your seedlings well to give them a good start, so for a good growth you will need to water regularly, especially during dry weather.
When the plants are mature, give them about half a watering can per plant. You can lessen this if you have a rich soil full of organic matter which will retain the water. Make sure to avoid getting the leaves wet when watering your runner beans, as this can cause problems such rust disease.
Wedding
Remove any weeds to avoid disturbing the bean plant’s roots, and aerated with regular hoeing.
Fertilizing
To don't get lush foliage and few beans, avoid using high-nitrogen fertilizer.
Beans require no fertilizer if the soil is prepared well before and at planting time. In fact, too much fertilizer may cause lush foliage with few pods. If soil is poor and growth is slow, apply fertilizer along the side of the rows before the first bloom.
Mulching
Mulching around the base of the plants helps to keep the ground moist for a Long period of time, and it stops weeds to grow.
Beans Common Problems
Beans are susceptible to a number of diseases.
The key is prevention.
Plant disease-resistant varieties.
Water carefully.
Allow ample space between plants.
Rotate crops every couple of years.
The key is prevention.
Plant disease-resistant varieties.
Water carefully.
Allow ample space between plants.
Rotate crops every couple of years.
Slugs
Keep an eye out for slugs, as they can destroy all your hard work in no time. You can use a beer trap. To get rid of them!
Black Bean Aphid
Blackfly can be a serious problem in July and August. You can spray with the natural insecticide 'Pyrethrum' or wash off with a strong jet of water. Growing marigolds near your bean plants can be a useful help as they attract beneficial insects like ladybirds who love to eat blackfly.
Downy Mildew
With good crop rotation, this can easily be controlled.
Bean Best Companion Plants
Companion planting can be very beneficial when growing vegetables since it increases crop diversity while decreasing pests and disease.
As I have already mentioned, you can surely plant out bean seedlings. However, they prefer direct sowing yet once you manage to transplant them carefully, you will have good success as I always have and your beans will grow well, offering you a bountiful harvest!
Watch How To Plant Out Bean Seedlings Started In Toilet Paper Rolls Video
Toilet rolls not only make great starter pots for black turtle bean seedlings, but are also fantastic portable planters. These toilet paper seed pots can be placed directly in the ground and will compost away. Make sure that when you plant them, they are completely covered with garden soil.
I hope this guide helps you learn how to plant out your bean seedlings started in paper toilet rolls indoors. It's an easy and an eco-friendly way of organic gardening!
Don’t hesitate to ask questions or reach out with any suggestions. So please let us know your thoughts, experiences, or questions in the comments below. If you like this, you can share with your friends!
Want to read ➡️ How to grow black turtle beans
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