Bush beans flower too early?

[Baileyrose555]

First year container vegetable growing! All has gone well, blue lake bush bean seed germinated on February 16th. It is now March 18th and I believe it is starting to flower. I know they mature quickly but is this too soon? The whole plant isn't very large so I'm not sure if my lighting schedule is the culprit or if the plant will continue to bush out and produce? I need advice!!!

[applestar]

I'm hoping someone else can answer this because I haven't really tried growing bush beans in a container -- but I'm thinking this pot is too small. Based on how they grow in the ground, I think you would need at least a cut off 2L soda bottle or a 1 gallon nursery pot per bush bean plant. I actually think they should be grown in much deeper containers -- like multiple plants in 3-5 gallon so as not to stunt or cause root restriction -- this might be the reason for it to want to bloom too soon -- I'm pretty sure bush beans are something like 45-55 days to start blooming at earliest.

Beans are typically sown directly in the ground, and if growing in a container, I think should be sown directly in the container they will be grown in.

[Baileyrose555]

This was the pot I planted seedin, with every intention of moving to a 12"(1gal) pot before flower if root system looked too snug. About 3days ago I had taken him out to assess if it was ready for transplant (assuming it would be because of the quick maturity) but the root ball is only about 2"wide(including the media that came with it) and about the same in length which is now alarming to realize it is flowering with what looks like a lack of proper root system. I water from the bottom to encourage deep rooting so I'm not sure what exactly I'm doing wrong):

[applestar]

You mention how wide, but how LONG was the root? Ordinarily, the thick main bean seed root would grow straight down and should grow at least as deep as the plant is tall (which this pot would not allow). As the plant grows, the roots grow even deeper.

[Baileyrose555]

root ball is only about 2"wide(including the media that came with it) and about the same in length

[applestar]

Yeah, I got that -- so based on what I wrote, did the root seem coiled up? If not, it sounds like the root had been damaged somehow. Maybe something ate the tip off.

[applestar]

Yeah, I got that -- so based on what I wrote, did the root seem coiled up? If not, it sounds like the root had been damaged somehow. Maybe something ate the tip off. ...actually considering it's in a clay pot, a likely scenario is that it grew it's root out of the drainage hole and then the exposed portion was torn off or dried up.

I like this series for reference -- I think other members do too because it's often mentioned here
This is the chapter for Beans


Root Development of Vegetable Crops: Chapter XX
https://soilandhealth.org/wp-content/upl ... 7ch20.html

[Baileyrose555]

It could have possibly been coiled in the root and media mass, I wasn't willing to to break into it for fear that I'd damage anything. I do regularly check the drainage hole for that reason but never saw any roots unless they hit the light and and reversed or dried up between checks which I'm sure is possible. When I had turned the pot upside down to to remove the plant I didn't see any roots coiling at the base of the pot. I'm completely stumped at this point. You made a very good point about root nibbles or drying/exposure. I'm going to go ahead and trade for the bigger pot and hope for the best. Will definitely check that out also!

[imafan26]

Beans are on a timetable. Their growth cannot be checked. It is best to plant them where they are to grow from the start but they can be transplanted. Beans should be transplanted to their final destination about 2 weeks old. At around 6 weeks they bloom. They will not do that much more growing so a small plant will produce less beans. After about another 4-6 weeks after the beans are harvested they are done. Bush beans set all their beans all at one time.