High in protein, these small speckled brown beans are the most popular dry shell beans for winter use! Pinto beans are commonly used in Mexican cuisine and great when used for refried beans! Young pods may also be eaten as green snap bean.



Detailed planting instructions:

Beans are generally direct seeded in the garden. The most important point about growing green beans is not to plant them too early. They will rot in cool, damp soil. To get an earlier start, you can put down black plastic to warm the soil.

When bush beans begin producing they often come in all at once. Staggered planting, every 2 weeks, will keep your bush beans going longer. Beans like a moderately rich soil with a slightly acidic pH of about 6.0 to 6.2.

They prefer a loose, moist soil. Plant after all danger of frost is past.

Pole beans will need some type of support to grow on. Be sure the trellis, teepee, fence or whatever is in place before you seed. Plant seeds at a rate of about 3-6 seeds per teepee or every 6 inches apart.

HARVESTING

Harvesting beans is an ongoing process. You can start to harvest anytime, but gardeners usually wait until the beans begin to firm up and can be snapped. They are generally about as think as a pencil then. Don’t wait too long, because beans can become overgrown and tough almost overnight. Harvest by gently pulling each bean from the vine or by snapping off the vine end, if you are going to be using the beans right away.

SAVING SEEDS

It is a suggested that you earmark a couple of plants at the beginning of the season for seed saving. Don’t pick ANY pods from them to eat - just pick the crisp brown pods at the end of the season. Don’t feed them, or water them unless it is very dry - as this can encourage leafy growth rather than pod development. There is no point in picking green pods as the seeds are not mature enough at this stage.

Planting Tips for Heirloom Beans:

50-60 days for green, 100+ days for dry beans. Beans typically need warm soil of 65° or higher. Grows best in full sun with well watered soil. Regular harvesting of the young pods will ensure a greater yield. Boost yields and germination by adding innoculants.

Avoid planting in soil that stays wet. Heirloom bean disease thrive in wet conditions, and the roots may not get enough oxygen.

Heirloom beans like soil that is slightly acid, about 6.5. This can be achieved by adding mulched pine needles, peat moss or sulfur.

Try wide row growing for bush beans. Make your heirloom bean rows three across instead of just one. Three wide is perfect because most people can reach across that width. You can grow 3 times the amount of heirloom beans in the same space, you reduce the amount of area for weeds, and you'll save on water.

Heirloom seeds are hardy but always take care with your garden seeds to give them the appropriate amount of moisture - not letting the vegetable seeds dry out prematurely or overwatering and possibly having them rot.

PLEASE READ THIS LIVE PRODUCT WARRANTY BEFORE ORDERING OUR SEED Seed is a live product which depends on many important related grower skills such as, proper planting time, seed depth, type of soil, irrigation, proper use of fertilizers, weed controls, fungicides, insecticides, disease free soil, and reasonable weather conditions during the growing period. These factors are totally out of the seller's control and are the growers responsibility and risk. Our seed cannot be unconditionally guaranteed to perform properly - regardless of weather conditions or the growers methods or mistakes.