Red beans, also known as kidney beans because of their kidney-like shape, are popular with children and adults alike. They are used in salads, Mexican dishes and stews. Find out below how to plant the delicious mealy beans in your own garden.

Kidney beans are great to grow in your own garden

Key facts at a glance:

  • Sowing date: end of May
  • Planting distance: 6 to 8 cm
  • Location: sunny to semi-shady, sheltered from the wind
  • Soil: calcareous, rich in humus, warm
  • Care: mound lightly, water regularly
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When can red beans be grown?

Beans like it warm and should therefore not be sown too early. A good reference date is the Ice Saints at the end of May. Since no more frosts are to be expected after this important date in the gardening year, you can sow your sensitive red beans directly outdoors at the end of May or beginning of June.

tips

If you sow earlier and therefore want to harvest earlier, you have the following options:

  • Grow kidney beans on the windowsill and plant out the plants at the end of May
  • Put red beans in the cold frame in early May
  • Plant red beans in the raised bed at the beginning of May and protect them from frost with mulch

The key data for sowing red beans

Red beans are sown 6 to 8 cm apart so that the seedlings have enough space. The beans need sun to be able to grow well and a humus-rich, calcareous soil that is as warm as possible. In addition, the delicate plants break off easily, which is why a wind-protected location is to be found. Red beans are bush beans and do not need climbing aids. However, to keep them from breaking off, you can pile up the young plants.

Pile up red beans

In order to give the kidney beans additional support, it is advisable to pile up the young plants. To do this, proceed as follows:

  • When the plants are 15cm to 25cm tall, use a hoe to gently loosen the soil around the seedling
  • Use your hands to pile up the soil around the red bean stalk.
  • The heap can be up to 5cm high.

You can find out more about piling up here.

When is kidney bean harvest time?

Kidney beans have a development time of about three months, which means that if you sow the red beans at the end of May, you can harvest them at the end of August.

tips

Did you know that fruits are almost always good for the organs they resemble? Kidney beans are a blessing for our kidneys.

Category:

Vegetable garden