Dried beans (Pulses)

Dried beans like borlotti, cannellini and kidney beans, will store well and keep you fed and healthy through the winter. Not only that, they are healthy for the soil.

Pulses, peas and beans, are known as nitrogen fixers.

70% of the atmosphere is nitrogen and is usually not in a form plants can access. Pulses can 'fix' nitrogen into the soil by photosynthesis, as it does with carbon, and collects on the roots for form root nodules.

Soil bacteria access the root nodules to feed other plants and should be incorporated in your planting plan for next season.

"Leafy greens planted after beans will thrive."

This is also why you should never pull the roots out of the ground. The less disturbance of the soil the better. Simply cut the main stem just below the surface of the soil, and leave those beautiful, rich plant roots where they are.

When to harvest dried beans

When the pods start to form they are good to eat, but if you are growing for dried beans you need to be patient and let them to mature.

When the pods look brown, but the pods have a leathery, pliable feel they're almost ready.

When they're completely brown and have a papery, brittle feel it's harvest time.

Remove the beans from the pods and lay them out flat, avoid letting the beans touch and allow them to dry out in the open on a warm day to make sure any and all moisture is removed before storage. The pods can go into the compost as a good source of carbon (browns).

The plants may produce another harvest if it's early in the season. But it's also a good idea to direct sow another crop in between the old plants so when the old plants begin to die the new plants will be ready to flower and produce more pods. Depending on the length of warm weather in your area, this could be done once more. Most varieties take 60-70 days to harvest (refer to the maturity time of the seed package). As the first bean crop starts to flower, plant new beans in the space between the current beans. This is in warmer weather so the threat of slug and snail damage should be lessened (But never zero).

Once they're fully dried, keep the dried beans in an air-tight container with a  food grade silica gel, or oxygen absorber pack.

Ensure the beans are fully dried before storage as any moisture will promote mold growth. If this happens it's best to plant them out if there's enough warm weather; it's probably best not to eat them.

Soaking before use

Before eating, soak the beans for 24 to 48 hours. This will reduce cooking time, usually 30 – 40 minutes after soaking, and makes then tender and good to eat.

When you soak them, you'll see some float to the top.

They are perfectly safe to eat, however if these 'floaters' are planted they do not produce a good plant. 

Air inside anything will make it float and if there's air inside it means there's not much else and will not produce a plant. 

Start beans early

To get a head start of growing beans in Spring, start indoors or in a green house approximately 3-4 weeks before your last frost date.

The timing is a balance, you want good leaf growth of 2-3 true leaves on top, but without the roots getting out of the soil and hitting the air.

Direct sowing in colder weather will hinder germination. The chance of beans rotting in the wet soil is high, and any growth that does emerge will most likely be devoured by slugs and snails. However, beans dislike any root disturbance so transplanting can hinder growth.

For the first round of beans I prefer planting into the cardboard tubes from old toilet rolls. It's very easy to do;

Fill the cardboard tubes with potting soil,
Plant the bean with the white spot facing down,
Cover with 3-4 cm of soil.

Once all chance of frost has past and night temps are above 10C, plant the entire cardboard tube and seedling into the bed and cover the top of the tube with compost without being too high up the stem of the seedling – usually 2-3 cm will do. The roots will find their way into the garden bed soil and the cardboard will feed the soil micro-biology as a good source of carbon.

For dwarf beans you can plant them closer to each other as they tend to support each other.

For climbing beans it's best to space them 20-30 cm apart and let them climb up something. A basic pole will do.

Seed saving

If you've chosen an heirloom variety, save the beans of the healthiest plants that produces the biggest and most pods, filled with biggest beans. 

The hope is to continue the genetics that do well in your micro-climate and increase yield year after year.  

Use the same technique as saving seeds for storage for those you intend to plant. 

Moldy seeds won't grow good crops.