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Question about peas/beans

15 years ago

First time planting peas or beans for me, and I was wondering if I could plant more than one type in the same pot. For instance - bush lima beans with bush bean purple teepee, or garden peas with snow peas? Would/could 2 plants of each type yield enough to be worth the time and effort? I'm not looking for a lot of yield, this is really more of an experiment for me than anything else.

What do you think? Any help would be appreciated.

PV

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Comments (6)

retiredprof
15 years ago
PV: My experience has been that you can plant two of the same type together (i.e. two different beans, two different peas) as long as the growth habit is similar. So, if two bush varieties, you're good. Bush and pole-types together are a mess if interplanted. The pole vines spread through the bush varieties and tangle themselves--think a knot of twine that takes two hours to work out.

I grew regular bush string beans and Italian flat bush beans together with no problem. I hated the Italian beans (go figure)--absolutely the worst-tasting things I have ever grown.

Two plants of each type wouldn't feed a crow. I just planted 200+ sugar snap peas, and I'll be lucky if I get a few meals out of the harvest (for two).

If your goal is just to play, then go for it. I planted 12 snap peas in the fall just to check growth habit and got maybe 15 edible pods before a hard freeze took them down. I ate them all while I was watering!
PVick
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks, Prof. I'm thinking how many plants I can get in a 12-15" square pot. All of the varieties I have (both peas and beans) are "dwarf" bush types - supposedly maxing out at 2Â½-3 feet tall. I just want to see which ones I like and might want to grow again, if any.

As usual, my eyes are waaaay bigger than my gardening space, but nothing beats a failure but a try, so we'll see how it all works out.

Thanks again.

PV
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retiredprof
15 years ago
PV: I square foot garden. In a 12" square, I plant four bush beans. Pushing it--maybe six.
PVick
Original Author
15 years ago
LOL - I'll be pushing it!

PV
token28001
15 years ago
Keep the nitrogen content of your fertilizer low while boosting the phosphate. You'll get more beans and have less greenery.
PVick
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks, token .. I'd read that about them.

PV

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