Though the levels are low, it’s best to never eat raw lima beans. They come in pole and bush varieties.Ī caveat about lima beans is that raw limas contain small amounts of toxins called glucosides. Growing them is not too different from “common” beans. Lima beans ( Phaseolus lunatus): Lima beans – named for the city – are famous for their buttery flavor. Use conduit atop fence posts to attach twine for supporting pole beans. Personally, I usually grow good old Blue Lake pole beans. So do black, white/cannellini, Great Northern, navy/Boston, kidney, and pinto beans. Snap beans, like green beans, purple beans, and yellow or wax beans, belong to this species. Amongst these categories, there are many, many varieties, with diverse bean and pod sizes, shapes, and colors. Half-runner beans are in between they don’t grow as tall as pole beans, but sprawl without support. There are two main types: pole beans, which require support for their vines, or bush beans, which can grow without support. “Common” bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris): Originating in North America, these are the beans most gardeners are familiar with. Store in a cool, dry place, ideally in a mesh bag.Ĭonsult the articles listed in the References section for more details about peanut cultivation. Then cut the peanuts off the pegs and spread them out to cure for a few weeks in a cool, dry spot. Dry for a week in a warm spot with good air movement. Harvest by pulling the whole plant out of the soil. A couple of weeks before harvest, stop watering the plants. The peanuts will be ready to harvest after the foliage turns yellow in late summer or early autumn. It’s important to keep the plants well-irrigated (about 1” per week) as the peg elongates and develops. The peg droops down and penetrates the ground, where the peanut pod develops. Peanut flowers self-pollinate, after which the end of the flower stalk elongates to form a structure called a “peg”. The growth habit of peanuts is fascinating. As the plant grows, mound soil a few inches high around the base. Wait until the soil has warmed to 60℉ before transplanting. They transplant well, though, so a good strategy is to start them inside 4 weeks before planting outdoors. Peanuts are frost-sensitive and have a long growing season, 110 – 130 days. Photo: Pacific Northwest Caribbean Gardens. Other legumes called “peas”, like chickpeas and black-eyed peas, are from different species and are covered below. Examples include English peas/garden peas, snow peas, and sugar snap peas. Peas ( Pisum sativum): The peas belonging to this species originated in Europe. Finally, it will touch on using legumes as soil-building cover crops. It’ll then discuss common diseases and insect pests of legumes and how to control them. It will then cover how to sow legumes for best results. This article starts with a quick run-down of legumes commonly grown in home gardens. Not only does this provide nitrogen for the legume itself, but it can boost the nitrogen content of the surrounding soil. ammonia) that can be metabolized by plants, animals, and microbes. nitrogen gas) to a reactive form (NH 3, i.e. That is, rhizobia convert nitrogen from a chemically inert form (N 2, i.e. Legumes are symbiotic hosts for rhizobial bacteria that live in root nodules and “fix” atmospheric nitrogen. In addition to their worldwide use as food crops, legumes are critical for soil nutrition. Finally, a few invasive species in North America, for example kudzu and wisteria, are legumes. Some trees are legumes, including redbuds, locusts, mesquite, and many tropical trees, such as tamarind. Other legumes, like alfalfa and clover, are used to feed livestock – and honeybees. Carob and licorice are also legumes, and are considered by many to be edible. Most people know the edible legumes: soybeans, lentils, peanuts, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, black beans, white beans, green beans, lima beans, fava beans, and Asian yard-long beans, among many others.
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