Growing pole beans from a bag of store-bought dried beans
The fact is that I rarely ever buy my bean seeds in garden centers. Instead, I purchase dried beans from the grocery aisle. I cook some, plant some, and put some of them up for the next planting season.
One of my favorite dried beans to plant is pinto (also known as mottled beans, Frijoles). Back in November, I decided to plant my pintos from a bag of dried beans that I had previously opened. That was about nine weeks ago. My plants began blooming before the new year.
Why do I choose to grow pintos over other bean varieties?
Besides the fact that pinto beans make the best chili, chili beans, refried beans, etc.. Pintos are healthy and are extremely rich in fiber, an excellent source of protein, vitamins, and minerals. In fact, they are also high in antioxidants, which may also help lower risk of chronic diseases. Plus, they can naturally help reduce high cholesterol levels.
Did you know that there's actually more than one variety of pinto beans?
Here are some of the different varieties: Álava, Burke, Buster, Classic, Grand Mesa, Hidatsa, Kodiak, Lariat, Quincy, Maverick, Othello, Santa Fe’, and Sierra. Regardless of the type, dry pinto beans are some of the easiest beans to grow.
Economically friendly
Buying a bag of commercial dried beans is more economically friendly than buying small packages of bean seeds in the garden section. If you're looking to save money, purchase a bag specifically for seeding, or open a bag to cook and grab a handful (or two) of beans to put back for seed later.
The fun part about it is that you can use any type of store-bought bags of dried beans, dried lentils, and dried peas to use as seed. Which gives you so many options. I prefer growing dried pole beans because they have higher yields than bush bean varieties.
So, what are pole beans?
Are you unsure which beans are considered pole beans? Below are some of the different varieties of dry pole beans.
Amish Nuttle
Annie Jackson
Borlotti (Cranberry)
Cherokee Trail of Tears
Good Mother Stallard
Goose
Hidatsa Red
King of Cassoulet
Octorara Cornfield
Oregon Giant
Saxon
Scarlet Runner
Snowcap
Turkey Craw
Kentucky Wonder pole green bean
Rattlesnake pole green bean
Planting dried pole beans
Before growing dried pole beans, you'll need to set up some type of pole teepee, rope nets, string, fencing, or other type of trellising first. This is needed so the beans can climb and grow upwards properly. The trellising will need to be about six feet tall, but note that some vines may grow as tall as twelve to fifteen feet.
Note: pole beans and bush beans both can grow well in upside down hanging planters too.
It's January 2023, and I have my beans planted inside my greenhouse. I am using regular large planter containers with attached trellising above the pots.
In containers, I normally plant three to four beans together in the center of each container. (Pole beans need to be planted in at least a nine inch deep container.)
When planting dried pole beans outside, wait until late April in the southern regions to June in the northern regions to plant. The soil temperature needs to be at least sixty degrees.
To plant your beans in rows: plant three to four seeds, four inches apart, two inches deep, and space your rows at least eighteen inches apart. Place three to four beans per space.
To plant your beans in hills: plant six seeds per each hill, thirty-inches apart, and space your rows at least thirty-inches apart.
You'll want to plant your beans with the eyes facing downward, two-inches in depth.
For faster germination, soak the beans overnight before planting. The seeds normally germinate in seven to fourteen days when the seeds have been planted in good, warm soil.
Water the seeds well during planting, then again after the seeds germinate. Keep the soil moist, but don't over water. Allow the top soil to become dry in between watering schedules and water as needed. Over-watering will cause root-rot.
The beans require sixty-five to ninety days to reach maturity before harvesting and are picked as a dry bean. Your pole beans will be ready to pick when the bean pods can snap easily.
You can also pick the younger bean pods off your plants and use them as green beans if you don't want to wait for them to grow into full maturity.