French bean and lettuce container

French bean and lettuce container

We show you how to plant a container for fresh pickings of lettuce and French beans.

A table displaying which months are best to sow, plant and harvest.
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
At its best
At its best

Plant is not at its best in January

Plant is not at its best in February

Plant is not at its best in March

Plant is not at its best in April

Plant is not at its best in May

Plant is not at its best in June

Plant is at its best in July

Plant is at its best in August

Plant is at its best in September

Plant is at its best in October

Plant is not at its best in November

Plant is not at its best in December

To do
To do

Do not To do in January

Do not To do in February

Do not To do in March

Do not To do in April

Do To do in May

Do To do in June

Do not To do in July

Do not To do in August

Do not To do in September

Do not To do in October

Do not To do in November

Do not To do in December

French beans can be grown both for their young, tender pods, and for haricot beans if the pods are left to dry on the plant.

Climbing French beans will cover a tall support, while lettuce and spinach will thrive in the slight shade offered around the support.

Climbing beans are hungry plants, so plant them in a big pot where they have plenty of sunshine. Water them regularly.

Follow our easy steps to plant up this French bean and lettuce container.

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You Will Need

  • French bean 'Cosse Violette' (2)
  • French bean 'Cobra' (2)
  • Lettuce 'Lollo Rossa' (9)
  • Spinach 'Bordeaux' seeds
  • 30cm terracotta pot
  • Willow wigwam

Total time:

Step 1

Plant the beans, then sink a sturdy support firmly over the top. A willow wigwam is ideal to support the heavy full-grown beans.

Planting the beans
Planting the beans

Step 2

Add lettuce plug plants around the base of the wigwam, leaving 15cm gaps for the spinach. They’re great value for money.

Planting the lettuce
Planting the lettuce

Step 3

Water well, then sow spinach seeds direct about 2cm apart. They’ll germinate and fill the gaps in about 10 days.

Sowing spinach seed in the gaps
Sowing spinach seed in the gaps
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Harvesting French beans

For delicious, tender French beans, pick them as soon as they are large enough to eat (after about eight weeks) by snipping them off with scissors. Regular picking encourages the plant to produce more beans. Alternatively, leave the pods to dry on the plant for use as haricot beans.

Wooden garden trug