Growing Ice Cream Beans in Containers?

[Kevin Jones]

Anybody growing Pacay Inga feuillei, Ice cream bean trees in containers?
I have 10 trees in 5 gallon pots.
Seeds originally from Hawaii.
Will they set pods in a container?
Thanks.

Kevin

[wonderfruit]

I think is a big tree.

[Kevin Jones]

On that you are correct.
So far... each tree is 6+feet tall.

Kevin

[sildanani]

I am attempting to fruit (or at least flower) one in a container. The largest of the two is around 1.5 years from seed at 7ft. I have them growing in 18" pots. I prune the roots, and plan to do a drastic prune to hopefully trigger blooms. I know they grow 40'+, but why not give a try? I know of a young tf enthusiast located in Wisconsin, who recently it managed to get his Inga to bloom at 3-4 years in a container. I doubt it set fruit, but hey! It still flowered and I don't think he even has a heated greenhouse. I'd think its worth experimenting with.

[Kevin Jones]

I agree... up for the challenge!
I will eventually put them into 11 gallon containers and prune as well.
Kevin

[Fygee]

The simple answer is, yes, you can.

I'm growing them in containers, also from seeds from Hawaii. As an experiment, I grew about 20 saplings, kept six, and gave the rest away to talented gardeners in the Vegas gardening group I help run.

Here are some things we've observed. Keep in mind that these observations are all things that myself and others in our Vegas gardening group have learned from research and experimentation on saplings that are now becoming short, young trees. Your mileage may vary, and there may be things I'm not aware of that can produce better results for you.

1. Their growth is heavily dependent on the amount of root space they have, particularly the vertical space. Once that level of space has been reached, they will stall. You'll either need a bigger pot, put them in the ground, or have them stay in the same pot if they reach a height and size you prefer.

2. As nitrogen fixers, avoid all nitrogen containing fertilizers. If you can't, get ones that have a low amount. I have one that I use that's 0-10-10 and fish based that they really like. They really like potassium in particular. A friend also used some weak compost tea and it made it quite happy as well.

3. If grown indoors first, they'll need to be hardened off to varying to degrees before getting full outside sun, which they like. This was super important here getting them to survive, let alone grow in Vegas.

4. Use well draining soil. Soil quality itself doesn't appear to be too much of an issue, as long as it drains well. I've had good results with Wonder Soil, which is enhanced coconut coir. Others have used Foxfarm potting soil, or various other kinds with good success. Straight crap Vegas dirt in a pot didn't work out so well (no surprise there).

5. Water judiciously. They don't like to be drowned, but prefer soil that's fairly moist on a consistent basis. They're also surprisingly somewhat drought tolerant, so they can go with bone dry soil for a few days to a week and be fine. If overwatered, the leaves will yellow and growth will totally cease. If underwatered, fix that very quickly because they went from wilted to dead REAL fast.

6. Pods. Pods? What pods? Unfortunately our trees are too immature to provide information on that since they're 7 months old from seed. All I know is what I've read, and that is it can take a couple years for them to start fruiting at minimum, and the size of the pods can vary depending on the health and environment of the tree. Since I'm growing them in Vegas, I'm very curious to see how that goes.

[Kevin Jones]

Mine are about 2 years old with no flowers yet.
They are all around 6 foot tall and need daily watering.
I don't think they need to be any taller than that.
Late November I'll move them into the greenhouse to over-winter.

Kevin

[ktorg]

Mine are about 2 years old with no flowers yet.
They are all around 6 foot tall and need daily watering.
I don't think they need to be any taller than that.
Late November I'll move them into the greenhouse to over-winter.

Kevin

Any update on getting your Inga to flower and set fruit in a pot? I am curious about how much success anyone has had with them in pot culture.

[sunny]

I put mine in large cement bowls and prune them often. But they won't grow much since they're in the shallow wide bowls...

They are 2 years now and grow like a bush instead of a tree.  They are real bee magnets and always have bee's coming to sit on the leaves. The bee's even built a nest right next to the tree's.

[waxy]

Went from a 7g pot to a 25g pot in the same year.
It's already rootbound...

It's possible, but give it space since they're nitrogen fixers.
I'm repotting mine into a 45g early next year.

(Old picture several months ago, will update with a more recent picture upon request)

Specs :
- Seed Grown
- Outdoors in 26F 9B
- Flowers consistently
- Several pods pending harvest
- 25 Gallon Container, pending 45g next year

[Kevin Jones]

It's been 2 years since my original post... they are still in the same pots but kept cut back. Still no blooms.

Kevin

[Pokeweed]

Assuming one was to protect the bottom ~3 feet of trunk, would an inga in the ground resprout after a 25° frost event? I know that in alley cropping they can be cut back hard for increasing light to annuals around them and chop and drop. Thoughts? D

[Tropheus76]

Mine did after a winter a couple years ago. Its about 12' tall now. No blooms though.

[Pokeweed]

Thanks Tropheus. That's encouraging! D

[K-Rimes]

I have one that is about 8' tall and was fruiting in comically small 15 gallon when I bought it. I since put it in one of the giant tall Costco pots, and it did set fruit this year - but annoyingly got knocked off by an errant postal worker.

It is clear that is already filled the pot and needs to move up... It did not take long. Hoping to move into a house soon where I can put them in the ground.

[waxy]

Careful about putting it in the ground, they have a very evasive root system.

[K-Rimes]

Indeed, I've heard this. They also grow enormous here in SoCal (probably everywhere) and they tend to shade your entire property (if on a normal postage stamp lot in the city). It would be a corner of the lot sort of tree if I had my choice.

[Pokeweed]

So if the roots are invasive do they send up suckers like jujubas? Thanks, Dan

[brian]

This post interested me enough I just ordered some seeds.  I'm going to try growing one in a large container in my greenhouse.

[SeaWalnut]

This post interested me enough I just ordered some seeds.  I'm going to try growing one in a large container in my greenhouse.

Il plant them in the greenhouse but in the ground not in pots.
They like water a lot.

[FV Fruit Freak]

Careful about putting it in the ground, they have a very evasive root system.

You can plant it in a large pot, cut the bottom out of the pot, and then plant it in the ground so the roots travel down instead of out and up.

[pineislander]

Honestly the fruit isn't worth extensive effort growing way out of zone unless you are just looking for a challenge.
In a pot you will be lucky to get a pound of fruit after years of effort.
Try buying a few pounds of fruit and eating it. I bought 10 pounds and after eating about 5 pounds to get viable seeds I planted 120 trees as a nitrogen fixing tree to pollard and produce biomass.

[brian]

My seeds just arrived.  Here we go!

[SeaWalnut]

Honestly the fruit isn't worth extensive effort growing way out of zone unless you are just looking for a challenge.
In a pot you will be lucky to get a pound of fruit after years of effort.
Try buying a few pounds of fruit and eating it. I bought 10 pounds and after eating about 5 pounds to get viable seeds I planted 120 trees as a nitrogen fixing tree to pollard and produce biomass.

It depends on the specie.Somme are better tasting than otthers.
I got an unidentified specie from Costa Rica ( there 60 different sp of Inga growing there).

[ktorg]

(Old picture several months ago, will update with a more recent picture upon request)

Can you show us an updated picture please?