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I've planted a lot of veg out in containers already which are doing well but it is my first time for courgettes and runner beans.

I've grown both from seed, the courgettes in pots and the runners, (thanks lavenderblue!) in loo roll middles. The courgettes are still quite small but I've been putting them outside during the day for a couple of days. The runners are about two feet tall and I haven't taken them out yet as due to their size... I don't want to break them! I've left them on a windowsill and opened the window a bit. How else can I harden both the runners and courgettes off and when can I plant them? They will be planted in containers.

This begs the next question-I'm running out of containers-any ideas for the runners? I have twelve plants-would a normal window box style trough be too shallow? I suspect it will!

Also when do I fertilise them and with what?

Thank you!

welcome kittyk...check out this link for courgettes in containers - very useful....courgettes in tubs

I feel that runners need to be in quite deep and fertile soil...so maybe really deep pots with manure etc would be good.

You might try to take the seedlings outdoors for the daytime (stake the runners) and then bring back to the windowsill for the evening...hope you get on okay - it's a bit stressful this veg growing eh?

Also...I've been using Growmore sprinkled over my veg...had some left from last year...so hopefully it'll help?!

Dee

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Have grown beans in half barrels with a wig wam in the past but made sure I put lots of rotted compost in the tub and fed regularly.

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Please get the runners out into the daylight. If they're on a windowsill this is the reason they're getting tall and frail. They need to be getting used to outside conditions. If you want to grow them in containers, then use a very large deep pot, and make a wigwam of canes to support them. They hate drying out, so the deep pot will help.

KittyK , your runner beans could be outside in containers now. You need a good big container filled with richly fed compost. Keep them well watered and they will get on great. Sorry I don't have a pic - on different computer.

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just keep them out of the wind, as they grow to the top of the wig wam they become incredibly top heavy and will fall over at the slightest provocation if you are not carefull. I fed mine with tommorite last year when I had them in tubs and got a great crop.. was a lot of effort watering them though during the weeks when it wasn't raining. Have got them in a bed this year.

must admit I struggled with the courgettes last year.. too much rain I think as they did recover a bit when I moved them into the greenhouse.

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Thanks everyone but I think I may have made some mistakes! My other half was going to knock me up some containers from old scaffold boards but was rained off. As my beans were starting to get a bit damaged by growing fast and with me moving them in and out trying to harden them off, I just now went and put the whole lot, (12) in one big plastic recycling box thing with a hotch potch of canes! I haven't been able to get any 6ft canes yet either but will thread them through when I get some this week. I was doing this in the pouring rain too and was carefully sticking the stalks to the canes with masking tape to encourage them!

Have I made a big mistake? Or several?!

I've been nurturing these so carefully and I may have just blown it in one fell swoop!!

Can anyone tell me if I have indeed made a mistake by planting them in the way I did yesterday please? (See above post.)

I might have time to rectify things-I also went all over the world today and eventually found 6ft canes!

Would be so grateful for damage limitation advice.

Hi Kittyk - I'd change the masking tape to string at least if you have it, or buy some of those plastic plant ties - they need to be loosely tied to the canes, I think masking tape would be too restrictive for them.

all the best with your beans.

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Gardening requires a lot of water... most of it in the form of perspiration.

For the future, perhaps... don't you hate it when people say that ... you may like to try a dwarf form of runner bean.

The overall crop won't be as enormous as you might get from climbing runners in good soil, but for those of us with only containers to play with, or no way of supporting very tall plants, they are really worthwhile.

I would recommend a variety called Hestia, or if you can't get that, one called Pickwick. They are dead easy.