How To Plant, Grow and Harvest Dry Beans! 

Great Story - thanks for sharing Frenchy!

I would so love to try this! You don’t happen to have any videos on it, do you? It’s easier for me to learn by watching it done than reading it in a paragraph.

@@twhitefamilygrows873 c;

Awesome thanks for sharing!!

Sounds like a nice direction to take with your life :)

I was thinking the same thing, maybe bean farmer is my new life

That's what we like to hear! I'm glad that was helpful.

Thank you for your feedback. You and me both - let's get to it :)

Ha - you explained the whole video in 3 phrases :)

But do you stop watering them when they start to die back, or do you keep watering until the whole plant is about done? Will they mold?

best of luck and bountiful harvests to you !

That's hilarious Bianca. You never know what may happen now. Maybe a big shift in your life it about to happen . . . and it all starts with growing beans :)

Yes, that method works great. Thanks for the input !

I'm glad you liked the video. Welcome to the channel. Great ideas - I esp. like getting a leaf blower involved :)

When they rattle in the pod they should be ready to harvest but . . . you're right, they're pretty flexible on timing! you're welcome :)

Hey Jeff - that's awesome. I look forward to the updates at the end of summer!

Thanks for your positive comments Oscar and welcome to the channel!

Welcome to the channel AND your first season growing dry beans!

Welcome to the channel John and thanks for the encouraging feedback.

Yes Nancy - beans are beautiful! Thanks for your comments. Keep growing :)

That sounds wonderful!

@@SustainableStace I usually produce more than I need and it's super low maintenance.

I'm that was inspiring for you. Good luck growing !

yes, each one is like a work of art! they are indeed beautiful.

Thanks April! Beans are indeed awesome :) Our dog is named Sodapop - he loves to dig and doesn't need much reason. He usually smells something and keeps on digging.

You're welcome Alfonso!

I'm glad it was helpful. I'm sorry those beans didn't flourish. Hopefully, next year you have a 'bean victory' !

3 cheers - it'll be awesome. Thanks for your encouragement!

You're welcome!

I'm glad you like the video John. It's definitely been awhile since I created that video. I cannot recall the volume of beans that came from the hulling. Likely a gallon or two from 10 gallons of husks.

Right on - I'm glad it was helpful!

Hi Dwight Great question! Our dog's name is Sodapop. He smells well. He adds a little imagination . . . and then he digs! What's he digging for? I'm never sure.

Awesome - enjoy :)

Love it!

You're welcome - I'm glad you enjoyed the videos!

Thank you 👍 I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Glad it was helpful!

Hello and thanks for the sub 5 gallon buckets - with good soil/drainage should work well i've grown kidney beans that were bush (not pole) beans. happy growing!

HI Chelsea - you'd want at least 70 days of warm weather from planting to harvesting. So . . . . where you are is it realistic that you'd have daytime temp. above 60-65 degrees and no overnight temp below 50 degree until mid October? If 'yes' I'd go for it. If not quite , I'd look at growing bush beans!

The reddish/brownish speckled beans are called Borlotti. The black/white ying/yang beans are also called Orcas (like killer whales!)

Good question. I don't know. Please tell me how it works out for you.

Sustainable Stace , ok I'll let you know what I find out . Think I'll check with Baker Creek . Thank you !

Absolutely! I’ve routinely let excess green and yellow wax beans dry down to use as dry beans. I like them as well as pintos, and kidney beans.

@@kevindice1092 Thank you so much !

Probably. If they've not been irradiated or stored too long they should be viable. Here's the easy way to test: put a few of them into a saucer with some water. If they start to sprout after a week, then you know they will grow in your garden if you plant them :)

@@SustainableStace I cooked my beans and they were about 3 years old, and they never softened, so I planted them(after boiling them and they are growing like crazy. I need to transplant them, which is why I came here.

@@dessertdeb1 I don't know about other types, but I know old red beans never get soft. I would imagine it's the same with other types also. BUT they are still edible.

I did. First time using small red beans.

Dry beans are SO easy and forgiving. If they're shucked YES they can sit in a bowl to dry. When the bean in the shell is rattly sounding or crunchy when you grab it roughly in your hand you WILL know that it's dry :) You don't need to vacuum seal it - a paper bag is just fine. They can store for years. They are incredibly shelf stable! Good luck!

Agreed. The goal is balance of nutrients. And crop rotation is key to achieving this.

Hello! Great questions: 1. Are these runner beans? NOPE. They are not. 2. Shuck = remove it from it's shell or pod. 3. Poisonous? Dry beans need to be boiled before being eaten. If they are insufficiently cooked they will make you sick. When beans are soft they are safe! 4. Storage - either a) dry store with NO preparation OR b) you can soak + boil until they are fully cooked and then freeze them in their juices. I hope that helps and . . .. happy growing.

great question - yes, that is how nature works normally! the key is that the seeds inside the pond need to reach maturity on the plant to be viable seeds.

@@SustainableStace Is there a way to tell when they mature inside the pod? I'm only growing navy beans for dry storage so I am not tempted to eat them before the plants are obviously dead. We have had really harsh winds which have knocked off a lot of leaves and I am afraid it will be the bean pods next.

You can cook and eat them right away. But they are best used as food that is stored and eaten in the seasons when you cannot harvest fresh food.

Great questions! You're correct, there are so many types of beans. 1) You'll need to know when you get seeds, what type they are so that you know if you're to pick them fresh at the right time OR if you can let them mature through to the dry stage. 2) All 'bush' beans grow low to the ground and are meant to grow without any support. 3) 'Pole' beans on the other hand do need support.

@@SustainableStace Thanks for the reply so the seed packet tells you when to harvest and if its a dry or wet based bean / bush or pole type? Just want to make sure on that one. Also it seems there are bean types and pea types that can be harvested both wet or dry depending on your preference to. Is that not correct. If so then does the seed packets specify the wet harvest time and dry harvest range times.

Right now i am just learning how to cook dry peas and beans well but eventually someday i rather make my own bags of dry beans and peas of different types. I also notice on a similar crop is chickpeas i believe those can be harvested wet or dry as in stores they sell them wet or dry. But maybe i am wrong maybe there precooked dry beans that are fooling me in stores.

Yup have grow for a couple year different bush beans they are like you say and pretty easy to grow. Some year i might switch over to pole beans i understand they grow a lot more vertical so curious on how you trellis those ones. With tomato cages or do you got better methods? @@SustainableStace

@SustainableStace Also correct me if i am wrong but are most wet beans just bush beans low to ground and most dry beans just pole beans high in the sky. Or does that not hold in general and you have some situation where dry beans are bush beans and wet beans are pole beans.

The plant needs to have spent its energy and the pods need to be full/fat/bursting. When that's all true - they can look anyway they like b/c the beans are ready!

@@SustainableStace That's great to hear. Thanks.

I've not had problems with cross pollination between peas and beans and always save my own seed. The Seed Savers alliance suggest 10 feet (3 meters) distance between different varieties to avoid cross pollination: www.seedsaversalliance.org/pea--bean-family.html

Thank you very much

Hi Susan - welcome to the channel! Marfax are a dry bean and so they are best left on the bush to mature and dry. You could also try eating some young, under ripe ones fresh and see if you like them that way too!

Yes. But, the pods may hold onto reabsorb moisture or disease . Plus, they take much more space to store. So I think that over time you have better quality food if you shuck earlier than that.

@@SustainableStace Thank you very much for that information. I've been searching for an answer to that question.

Sorry to hear about the bugs in your beans. Depending on how long you think the bugs are in those beans - my first choice would be to put the bag in a freezer to end all lifecycle stages of the bugs. I hope you can still get great use out of all those beans!

Hi April - it's hard to gauge how much you eat and how often you''ll eat beans when you do! 1/2 cup of dried beans should equal a 15 oz can of cooked beans. Think how many cans of beans your crew will eat between harvest and start to plan & plant! I'd suggest you start by planting several varieties and planting at least 50 feet of each. See which performs best and note how much you planted and how much you harvested. And . . . note how much volume of cooked beans you use for a meal. Within a season you'll know exactly what you need! I hope that helps :)

If they mature on the plant then YES you can dry them inside. Way to go on the guerrilla garden!

Surprise! That's so cool that you have a mystery bean plant. I doubt it's a dry bean variety - likely fresh as you noted. Pick a pod to test and see if you like eating them raw or cooked right now as they are. From that you should be able to decide if you think it should have more time to mature. Usually beans taste better young/tender vs. old/gnarly so I'd suggest you err on early planting. If it's large pods which are inedible then you'll need to shuck them and cook ONLY the seeds inside. Try steaming or pan fry in a bit of butter - i'm sure they'll be yummy. Another option is to steam them quite long, till really soft and then food process with a bit of salt/pepper and olive oil. They'll make a wonderful tasting dip ! Good luck :)

@@SustainableStace - thank you!

Hi Ashley - great question. Once the pods are formed AND the beans are full matured inside, no more watering is needed. The plant isn't taking up nutrition any longer. You're correct, it's natural lifecycle is over!

@@SustainableStace ok good to know thanks, there connected to my drip system and there are other things in the bed as well, I’ll just leave it on

Hopefully you can find a (fairly) critter free zone where your beans can dry out!

Great question - I do live in a very wet area however . . . . here's what I did TODAY . . . I went to my pole beans where large, mature pods were attached. The key here is that they were already fully mature. I knew that heavy rains were going to be starting today so . .. I broke the stems off the plants and took the large bean pods indoors and put them on a dry, mesh so they can become fully dry and cure.

@@SustainableStace thank you, your answer comes at the perfect time for my harvest and the weather which has been forecast this week! We will be pulling the rest of our beans indoors tomorrow!

Hi Julie - welcome to the channel! If the beans inside the pods are dry and look healthy then YES

Great question - that doesn't really get covered in this video does it? If you're growing beans that climb poles - space at least 1 foot apart at the poles. Plant 1,2, or 3 seeds at the base of each pole. Best to have a drip line snaking thru the poles as well so that they are watered at the roots! I have a great video on growing pole beans which explains what I'm talking about. You can check in around the 3' 30" mark: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fb7hWZdLGZY.html

So true - well said!

hmm - you got my attention with that comment. thanks! No matter what I grow, beans or otherwise, I'm always going to add compost / manure back to the soil after crops are harvested so . . . maybe I always knew that and just needed your nudge!

Good question. I don't have an accurate answer. I'd say enough to feed our family of 6 for 20 or 30 meals.

I'm presuming you are asking this question about the beans BEFORE they are harvested. It will likely depend on how much moisture is in the pod b/c the heavy frost will cause resident moisture to harm the structure of the seeds. You should try to time your planting and harvesting to be all done PRIOR to heavy frost.

good question! i f they are dry, you do NOT need to dry more. Just keep them in a dry place and the beans will be ok.

Hello! Are you referencing the variety of beans I'm holding in the video? If so, that variety is typically called Calypso and also nicknamed Orca (like the black and white marking on a killer whale!)

@@SustainableStace Hi thank you for the answer , they are so similar : www.google.com/search?q=Pallar+de+moche&sxsrf=ALeKk02OGuDQULylGeSO5JGUSX4zWsl_oA:1591558385781&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj20eSBufDpAhXDoXEKHYg7C3kQ_AUoAXoECAcQAw&biw=1025&bih=532

Welcome ! I can ask you questions about your question but I likely cannot answer it . . . dry beans or fresh beans ? bush beans or pole beans ? Rough estimates - a few bush bean plants will likely provide dry beans for a meal for a person or two. A single pole bean plant will likely provide a meal of fresh beans for a family.

LOL

Yes, that's it.

Yes. Once the seeds are fully formed in the pod, the plant starts to die. And, it's best to stop watering at that point.

Sustainable Stace Thank you!!!

Yes! They are amazing.

If you're looking at the image in the thumbnail for this video - two varieties are shown: 1) the black and white variety goes by the names: calypso, orca and yin yang 2) the other which has flecks of reddish / brown color is called borlotti I hope that helps :)

@@SustainableStace yes it does..thank you!

Yes you can Zoe :)

Hi Johnny - I don't understand your question. Are you wondering about how to know which varieties of beans are meant to be dried/saved OR are you talking about how to know which pods of mature bean seeds are the best ones for drying/saving ?

@@SustainableStace The first one ser! All of the different varieties are just rather overwhelming as before spending the time to watch your video and others related to drying beans, I figured I could use just any old pole bean for drying. Right now I am looking at the varieties of beans available at my local seed supplier and only a few of them include the label of "drying bean." I think I have it figured though as I am looking at buying some pole beans, some bush beans, and some "drying beans" - and there is also a bush variety that can be eaten fresh and saved for drying (Dragon Tongue specifically fits this description).

Beans generally do well in slightly acidic soil. pH 6-7 I generally find them to be agreeable and productive. As always, try not to grow in heavy, clay soil which would trap water and drain poorly.

@@SustainableStace thank you so much

Yes, like all seeds and their viability, storage time decreases quality. Well noted.

Hi Steve, I wish it was a quick answer! Simply - you want to plant a few weeks AFTER last frost (late spring / early summer) and complete harvest BEFORE first frost (late summer / early fall) For myself - I plant beans in early June. Usually transplanting a 20-30 day old start from the greenhouse. But, WHEN is a matter of where you live i.e. which growing zone I'm in zone 8. So 'when' for me may be different than for yourself. Also, it depends on what type of beans: 1) pole beans or bush beans - variance of 30-40 days 2) harvest fresh or harvest dry - variance of 30-40 days These factors are huge ! If you're talking dry pole beans it can be 120 days (or more) to harvest. So, you need to have 4 months after last frost. And, I find that I often need to re-plant some of my pole beans b/c pests/birds get some of them. So, that can be another 20 days additional. I hope that discussion helps!

@@SustainableStace thank you

I"m in Canada - on the west coast of British Columbia. We live on Vancouver Island a bit north of Seattle.

​@@SustainableStace I can hear the faint Canadian accent!

That's a good question JoeBob Jenkins! You're right - if it's moist for long period of times while your pods are hanging on the vines this can be a concern. The best way to combat it is to plant early enough so that the beans mature/ripen before your wet season hits.

Hi Jessica, sorry to hear about the rust on the beans. I'm not familiar with it. You're in a tough spot. The beans sound like they are not mature. Picking them now will likely leave you with something fairly inedible OR with so little volume that it won't seem like a good use of your time to shuck them when they dry out. Depending on how advanced the fungus is - I wonder if you should research if it's possible to treat / stop it from spreading further.

Hi Ronnie - sorry on the very slow delay. I couldn't remember the name of that bean, which drove me crazy. It's Borlotti.

20 plants in 30 feet means that they are 18" apart ! What calculation are you using for 1 to 1000 ?

@@SustainableStace I estimated but reversed the 20 and the 30. Thanx. The thousand was from the video.

Ha - not a typical gardening question. They say they only knew it as a boy's name when they chose it - and were later surprised it was more common for girls. No end of teasing as a little guy! I got over it :)

@@SustainableStace Yeah, I'm that guy who always has 1000 questions. As a Casey I can 100% relate though. Thank you for the reply brother.

he's usually snuffling around smelling what's living underground! That's Sodapop.

I've not idea but . . . . You don't have to be a peasant to enjoy peasant food!

I'm sorry to hear that. I found this article to provide some helpful suggestions: www.leafrootfruit.com.au/how-to-control-earwigs-garden/

@SustainableStace thank you for the info. I appreciate it

Seeds dry out over time. And they need to breathe. Paper bags don't work for long periods. We're looking for improvement and progress, not perfection. What would you advise, maybe a glass jar?

@@SustainableStace Yes. A glass jar.