May 18, 2022 Source: Outdoor Happens
Photo Source: Unsplash,
The black bean is commonly native to the Americas and a staple in Mexican, Cajun, and Creole cuisine. Black beans are also delicious cold, pureed, or baked! Wouldn’t it be nice to have these versatile legumes thriving in your backyard’s garden patch?
Black beans have pole and bush varieties.
They grow best in warm temperatures during late spring with soil temperatures of at least 60°F to 70 °F. Black beans take 90 to 140 days to yield a harvest. Pole varieties need support to grow vertically, use a trellis or pole to stake the plants.
Not many crops are easier to grow and more rewarding for the effort than black beans. So, let’s look at the complete “how-to guide” for common black beans. How to Grow Black Beans
Choose your black bean variety. There are many types of black beans available as determinate (bush) and indeterminate (pole) varieties.
Choose a location. Black beans prefer a full-sun position (at least 5-6 hours of full sun).
Prepare your soil. Black beans prefer loose, well-draining soil and a pH of 6 – 6.5. Use an at-home soil test to check your soil.
Soak your seeds before planting. Dried beans have a better chance of successful germination if you soak them overnight.
Plant your seeds once all signs of frost are gone. Black beans germinate best in soil temperatures of at least 60°F to 70°F. Around late spring is usually best to ensure four to five months of consistently warm weather.
Plant the seeds about 1″ deep with the eyes facing downward, with 3-4″ of space between them or pole varieties and 6-8″ of space for bush varieties.
Cover seeds with a thin layer of soil and water gently. Germination takes 10-14 days.
Mulch the soil around your black bean plants.
Protect the plants from pests and provide a trellis for support.
Water your plants regularly when the top 1″ of soil is dry. You can check the soil’s moisture level with your finger.
Harvest when the pods turn yellow and dry. Harvest usually takes 90-140 days, depending on the variety.
We’ll go into more detail on growing black beans below! Black Bean Varieties Black beans are a yummy and nutritious legume perfect for any garden. They pack loads of nutrients! One cup of black beans has about 15 grams of protein – and 15 grams of fiber. Most nutritionists recommend at least 25 to around 38 grams of fiber daily. The original black bean plant is a vine with a twining habit similar to today’s pole beans. However, black beans are now available as determinate (bush) and indeterminate (pole) varieties. The best variety for your garden entirely depends on your preference. Of course, neither one outweighs the other, but there are vast differences that might cause one to attract you more than the other variant.
Black Bean Bush VarietyBlack Bean Pole Variety
Height 2 feet or less.3 feet or taller.
Harvesting
Easy to harvest. Harvest the beans all at once.Hard to spot between the masses of foliage. Harvest throughout the growing
season.
Determinacy
Determinate. Indeterminate.
Yield
Yield all cops at onceYields throughout the season. Higher yielding per square foot.
Maturity
As little as 50 to 60 days.90 to 140 days.
Size
Smaller and shorter pods generally.Sizable and longer pods generally.
Selection
Dried beans are mostly bush types.Heirlooms are only available in pole.QualityMany gardeners say that the flavor is blander in comparison to the pole variety.Many gardeners say that the flavor is more intense in comparison to the bush variety.Black Bean Bush Varieties vs. Black Bean Pole VarietiesWhen to Grow Black Beans
Black beans thrive in warm climates with soil temperatures of at least 60°F to 70°F for successful germination.
Do not plant Black beans until all signs of frost are gone; around late spring is usually best to ensure four to five months of consistently warm weather. Due to their shallow roots, black beans do not do well with transplanting. So, if you have a shorter growing season, consider warming up the soil with black plastic mulch. How Many Black Beans Should I Plant? Generally, it takes 8 to 12 black bean plants to produce a generous amount of black beans for a single person.
So, if you are planting black beans for consumption, 12 plants per person is ideal. However, if you grow your beans to preserve them, 36 plants per person will allow you to have fresh beans to use and enough to store later.
When to Harvest Black Beans Your black beans are up and ready to harvest as soon as the bean pods on your bean bushes or poles have turned yellow and dry.
Black beans typically take anywhere between 90 to 140 days to harvest after planting, varying from cultivars.
To harvest, use scissors to cut away the ripe pods from the bean plant. Harvest your bush beans all at once when mature; you can even remove the whole plant from the soil. However, pole varieties develop throughout the growing season.
So, be sure to check and harvest them when ready – check frequently!
How to Grow Black Beans Step-By-Step? To successfully grow black beans in your veggie garden, follow these simple steps: Step 1: Choose a Location to Plant Black Beans Similar to most other dry bean varieties, black beans do not like transplanting, so it’s better to plan to sow them right out into your garden soil. (Their roots are too shallow to transplant most of the time.)
Choose a location ensuring full sun (at least 5 to 6 hours of full sun) and without shade obstructions like other trees and plants.
Step 2: Prepare Your Soil Before Planting Black Beans Black beans prefer growing in loose soil with plenty of organic matter and adequate drainage. Black beans won’t germinate unless the temperature is around 65 degrees. They prefer temperatures even warmer – upwards of 70 and 80 degrees. (Fahrenheit.) Ensure that you have loose, well-draining soil to prevent root rot and water-logged garden soil.
Be sure to test the soil’s pH and make necessary corrections before hastily planting your black beans. Home pH test kits are user-friendly and readily available in most garden centers.
Black beans thrive best in soil with a pH between 6 and 6.5.
If your soil pH is high (alkaline soil), consider adding sulfur.
If your soil pH is low (acidic soil), consider adding lime.
In addition, beans ideally prefer fertilizer with low nitrogen content. Therefore, consider adding organic fertilizer to the soil before planting black beans in a location where crops grew previously.
Furthermore, you can also add a legume inoculant (a common additive for legumes and peas, containing bacteria that feeds the soil and kickstarts the nitrogen production in the plant) to boost the growth of the seedlings.
How can you introduce Black Beans into your garden into your diet? Why? How could that improve your health? How could that improve the environment?
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