dried beans

The dried beans listed above are the ones I grow in my garden and can talk about as to how they grow in my zone (Zone 8b). Remember to locate your zone: Plant Hardiness Zone. 

Dried beans (also known as grain legumes) contribute to some of the health benefits associated with plant-based diets. Beans are rich in a number of important micronutrients to include potassium, magnesium, folate, iron, and zinc. Dried beans are important sources of protein in vegetarian and vegan diets.

Beans contain the protein building blocks (amino acids) that the body uses to heal and make new tissues, such as bone, muscle, hair, skin, and blood.

For those conscious of calorie intake, dried beans are lower in calories and saturated fat than other protein sources, such as meats and fatty dairy products.

Make sure your beans are completely dried before planting. You can start your beans indoors and use any method you like to germinate them early before planting outdoors, or you can direct sow after your first frost date. Bean seeds will take about 4-6 days to germinate in optimal warmth. The colder the dirt, the longer the germination rate. Seeds do not need sunlight to germinate, but the do need warm dirt.

When planting, space your seeds 5-6 inches apart. This will give their roots plenty of room and the plant leaves the space they need as well. Your soil needs to be well-draining, as bean plants do not like to be water logged. Your bean plants will reach maturity in approximately 120 days (3-4 months). As soon as your plants start to produce bean pods, you can eat them from the young age as fresh bean pods or let them continue to grow and die on the vine to harvest dried beans.

Most beans will grow tall and need some sort of trellis to latch on to or a support system. The Pinto, Cranberry and Navy beans grow up trellis's, while my Adzuki bean plants grew as a shorter bush. Get to know your bean plants and what you will need for support. Also, knowing whether they are a bush bean or a pole bean will help you plan the location where to plant.

FULL SUN: At least 8-10 hours of sunlight a day. The less sunlight given to your plants, the lower your bean yields will be.

Since bean plants are not heavy feeders, they use less of the nitrogen in the soil. In fact, they have a symbiotic relationship with mother nature and actually put nitrogen back into the ground. If you do feel pressed to add a fertilizer to your bean plants, pick one that has half the amount of the phosphorous and potassium. (ex: 8-16-16)

It is enough to add a good compost to the soil and mix thoroughly before adding your seeds. This will feed the plants throughout their lifecycle.

You plants will reach maturity levels around 3-4 months, depending on the weather and soil conditions. Once your plant starts to produce immature green bean pods, you can start harvesting to eat them fresh or as a dinner bean. Otherwise, you can leave the bean pods on the vines and let the plant and pods die and dry out. At this point, after the plant is thoroughly dry, you can harvest your bean pods and shell them to collect the beans.

Once you have shelled the bean pods, you may want to let your beans dry in the open a day or two longer just to make sure they are completely dry before storing in an air-tight container. You should be able to push your finger nail slightly into the bean and not penetrate the skin.