Kidney beans is a member of the common bean family, and like many legumes its used in meals all around the world. These healthy power houses are easy to grow even indoors. Common bean family is thought to have originated in Peru. And has been cultivated for 8000 years. This bean was brought back to the new world by sailors, and later became became a important protein source for them as well. They even make great companion plants because they return a small amount of nitrogen to the soil.
Plant and Go
Botanical Name: Phaseolus vulgaris
| Depth: 1-2" | Spacing: 4-6" | Row: 36" | Temp: 60-80F |
| Germ: 10-14 days | Sun: Full/ 6-8 hrs | pH: 6.0-7.0 | Harvest: 60-75 |
| Soil: well drained | Container: 9x12" | Fertilizer: 5-10-10 | Fertilizer Freq: once a month |
| Water: 1in a week |
Companion plant: Cauliflower
Details
This article is for kidney pole bean varieties. Beans do not transplant well , so direct sow or use a container that can be moved outside. Beans are sensitive to frost. Sow one wee
k before last frost, move outside two weeks after last frost.
k before last frost, move outside two weeks after last frost. Pole bean varieties all require a trellis or something to climb. Some varieties can grow to 10 ft long. If space is tight, remember that beans are trainable. A tomato cage, chicken wire or tripod attached to the container works fine. You can train your plant by gently moving it in place to warp around works. If you have a garden, same as above works or look on line for something creative, some folks use arches as a trellis.
Sow seeds 1-2in deep, space 4-6in apart, rows 36in. Beans like temperatures between 70-80F, but needs to be above 60F. Germination is about 8-10 days. Beans prefer moist well drained soil. A spot that has full sun for 6-8 hours a day. Beans have shallow roots and require about 1in of water a week. Avoid soaking leaves when watering.
Beans are light feeders, use 5-10-10 formula. Fertilize when seeds are sown, and once when pods start to appear. Other then that beans pretty much take care of themselves.
Harvest
Plants take about 60-75 days to mature and ready for harvest. Something to consider before harvest is, do you plant to eat fresh or dry. To harvest for fresh eating do so when the pod starts to dry. If you plan on drying, then wait until the leaves turn brown and even fall off before harvesting the pods.
Fun Facts
-January 6th is National bean day which commemorates the death of the geneticist Gregor Mendel who’s experiments with pea plants formed the basis of modern genetics.
-The worlds tallest bean plant was over 45 feet tall grown in 2003 by Staton Rorie
-There are over 400 types of beans
Conclusion
Beans are easy to grow. If your looking to grow to feed yourself, 6-10 plants is needed for one per person. Unless you have the room that’s hard to do. But one or two plants in a container is defiantly something anyone can do.