Vegetable garden and the ants

[Paul O.]

Haven't done any vegetables in a few years and as I now live in a mobile home, the space is somewhat limited. All I'm wanting at the moment are some pole beans. My choices for growing are large pots with trelleses, trying to keep plant ends away from anything an ant can climb on to reach the vines, or planting in the ground with trelleses. The area I live in has more small ants than should be allowed and want to keep them away from the beans without using poisions all over the place. Any suggestions? Thanks.

[enigma]

"Paul O." wrote in news:Pzfyj.3363$ [e-mail]:

ants don't bother beans. if you have ants on your pole beans, they are most likely there because you have aphids. you can easily control aphids with a spray of water & by encoraging ladybugs. no poisons needed. beans, bush or pole, need warm soil to start though, so unless your soil temps are over 65F it's too early to plant beans. you might be able to get an early start in dark colored buckets, if you want to experiment. i don't start my beans outdoors until late June/early July here in NH. seedlings started indoors & planted out before the soil warms will be more stunted than outdoor sown seeds planted at the correct temperature. i do start beans indoors too, but they don't get out to the garden until it warms up now. lee

[Paul O.]

Thanks Enigma, guess I'll put em in the ground then. Still a little early here in So. Cal. also. So will wait another month or so.