Vigna unguiculatasubsp.sesquipedalis

The yard foresighted noggin ( Vigna unguiculatasubsp.sesquipedalis ) is an annual legume grown mainly for its delicious , super foresightful pods .

Also have it off as Chinese retentive beans , long - pod cowpeas . or asparagus beans , they ’re an inviolable delicacy and are more democratic in Asia than in North America .

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A close up horizontal image of yard long beans growing in the garden, ready for harvest.

Although the pod look likepole beansthat got a little carry aside , as a member of theVignagenus , yard long bean are more tight interrelate to cowpeas , includingblack - eyed peasand crowder peas .

In this guide , we ’ll cover everything you need to know to produce a healthy crop of gorgeous chiliad recollective dome .

Here ’s what I ’ll cover :

A close up vertical image of a pile of yard long beans freshly harvested. To the center and bottom of the frame is green and white printed text.

What You’ll Learn

Quick Look

How to Sow

How to Grow

A close up vertical image of yard long beans growing in the vegetable garden attached to a bamboo trellis.

Cultivars to choose

Pests and Disease

Harvesting

A close up of a packet of Exceed Garden Combination inoculant set on a wooden surface.

Preserving

Cooking Ideas

acquire from seed , in one season this flora can make vine up to 12 feet long .

A close up image of a biodegradable CowPot isolated on a white background.

Since these legumes areindeterminate , like some type of tomatoes , they ’ll just keep rise until killed back by frost in fall .

Like many of their legume relatives , the vine bear chemical compound leaves , each with three spade - form leaflets .

The bloom are purple , white , or yellow , and when pollenate – ordinarily bybees – the blooms give way of life to beautiful green seedcase .

A close up horizontal image of yard long bean seedlings growing in the garden.

In addition to flowers , they also produce nectar from small secreter called “ extrafloral honey gland ” on the stems near the blooms .

pismire are very attracted to this source of nectar so you may notice them on your plants glean this sweet treat , without doing any damage .

They may even protect yard long beans from other insects to keep this nutrient source to themselves .

A horizontal image of bean plants growing on trellis in rows in the garden.

plebeian name(s):Asparagus beans , Chinese long beans , grand long noodle

Plant type : Annual vining vegetable

Hardiness ( USDA Zone):2 - 11

A close up horizontal image of yard long bean seedlings growing in rows in the vegetable garden with grass mulch around them.

Native to : Asia

peak time / time of year : summertime

photo : Full sun

A close up of a few bunches of purple ‘Mosaic’ yard long beans at a market.

Soil character : sandlike , loamy , well drain

Soil pH:5.5 - 7.5 , somewhat acidic to electroneutral

Time to maturity:65 - 90 days

A close up of a packet of ‘Orient Wonder’ seeds with text to the left of the frame and a hand-drawn illustration to the right.

Spacing : 6 - 12 in

Planting depth:2 in ( seeds )

fledged size:6 inch wide x 12 ft high

A close up of a pile of purple ‘Mart Tsu In’ yard long beans isolated on a white background.

Water demand : Moderate

Taxonomy

ordering : Fabales

Family : Fabaceae

Genus : Vigna

A close up of a pile of ‘Yu Long Noodle Kin’ beans set on a gravel surface with a measuring tape next to it.

Species : Unguiculata

Subspecies : Sesquipedalis

Making this a ratherunusual garden harvest , the edible pod are extremely recollective , ranging in duration from 10 in to up to three feet long , depending on the variety .

A close up horizontal image of two hands from the left of the frame harvesting yard long beans from the garden.

pod can be dark or light greenish , purple , flushed , or a dappled mixture of colors .

The seeds held within the seedpod can be a compass of colors depending on the sort – they may be black , brown , violet , red , or emollient with black-market eyes .

These legumes are well adjust to hot , humid summers and can be grow as annuals inUSDA Hardiness Zones2 to 11 .

A close up horizontal image of yard long beans on a wooden circular chopping board.

Yard long bean are a warm time of year crop , so hold back to sow in or transplant seedling until all risk of frost has passed – unremarkably one to two weeks after the last spring hoarfrost .

Before sowing consider applying inoculum to the seed .

Cowpeas have a mutually symbiotic human relationship withBradyrhizobiumsp . ( Vigna ) bacteria , which mold nodule on the rootage and help these plant determine N .

A close up horizontal image of yard long beans chopped in a bowl and whole set on a wooden surface.

Exceed ’s Garden Combination Superior Legume Inoculant contains the veracious bug for this legume – as well as a premix of other good bacteria to inoculategarden peas , common attic ( Phaseolus vulgaris),favas , limas , and many more .

Exceed Legume Inoculant

you could purchase a one - and - a - half - ounce cup of tea of Exceed Garden Combination Superior Legume Inoculant , enough to handle eight Syrian pound of seeds , from High Mowing Seeds .

A close up horizontal image of mature yard long bean pods ready for harvest in the garden.

Learn more about using inoculants with legumes here .

Sowing Indoors

If you have a shortsighted growing season , you might want to startle seeds indoors to get a jumpstart .

design to sow seeds around six week before your last average frost , and utilize four - column inch mickle .

However , there ’s a caution – it ’s best to sow these cum in biodegradable pots rather than plastic ace to minimize beginning disruption during transplanting .

I wish to utilise biodegradable CowPots , made from composted cow manure .

CowPots 4 - Inch Biodegradable Pots

you could pick up some CowPots in a variety of package sizesfrom Arbico Organics .

fill up the heap to within an inch of the flange with moisture - retentive seed go mix .

Inoculate cum by placing them in a small pipe bowl , summate enough water to wet the come , then spit a pinch of inoculant .

Next , poke a two - inch mysterious hole in the middle of each pot , and stick in a unmarried germ . Close up the hole over the seed , and chuck the soil down gently .

Germination will be profligate if conditions are quick – between 60 to 70 ° F – so you may want to use a heat matte if you do n’t have a suitable emplacement in your home .

Expect germination in six to 12 days .

Keep the grow medium moist but not sloppy , and give the seedlings plenty of light – use a grow lightif you take to .

Transplanting

About a week after your average first frost is past and when the seedlings have at least two honest leave , originate harden them off ahead of transplant .

When the seedlings are hardened off , you’re able to transplant them into the grease .

To transplantation , first use a trowel orhori horito make a gob in your garden seam big enough to accommodate the compostable pot .

Then founder off the rim of the pot to land level and use the border of the hori hori or a pair of scissor hold to cut through the sides and bottom of the biodegradable pot .

Insert the pot into the hole , taking care to keep the surface of the growing average grade with the airfoil of the soil .

Water in , and keep moist as the newly transplanted seedling become install .

Space your transplant six to 12 column inch apart .

Direct Sowing

To direct sow , wait until one to two hebdomad after your last fair spring Robert Frost .

Wet the soil down ahead of time to prepare for planting , and inoculate semen as indicate above .

Poke hole in the soil two in mysterious , six to 12 inches apart , then drop a seed in each hole .

Squeeze the hole close over the seeds , chuck the grime down to check good contact , then water supply in mildly with the shower setting on a watering verge .

Keep the soil moist but not swampy as seed germinate –   which should take six to 12 Clarence Shepard Day Jr. – and young plants become ground .

thou long beans love heat and do n’t care common cold . If you ’ve had issues in your area with assortment ofP. vulgarisgetting wimpish during heating wave , this species may be a good reserve .

Support

Before sowing seeds or transplanting seedlings , make indisputable a trellis is in place to allow forvertical increase .

The trellis should be at least seven fundament marvellous to admit the vigorous vines .

Light

When deciding where to posit your attic , ensure you havefull sun conditions – that means six to eight minute of direct sunlight per daylight .

Soil

Yard long bean will grow in a wide grasp of well - draining soil types , include Lucius Clay and flaxen loam . The ground should have a pH range of 5.5 to 7.5 .

desire to learn more about what type of grunge you have ? You may need todo a soil trial run !

Water

thousand farseeing beans take about one inch of water every seven to 10 days – though of course of study , that quantity will deviate depending on the amount of Sunday , passion , and twist in your field .

Aim to keep the soil evenly moist but be careful not to permit it become waterlogged .

If you postulate to irrigate , water at the substructure of plants rather than from command overhead to shorten the risk of fungous disease .

Mulch

employ a lean stratum of mulch around your K retentive bean plants to bottle up weeds and help to prevent wet from vaporise .

You may be surprised that for a veg that ’s not so well roll in the hay in North America , there are in fact   many different varieties of chiliad long beans to prefer from .

Here ’s a sampling of some of the best cultivars :

Mosaic

‘ Mosaic ’ features seedcase that have a mottled purpleness , blood-red , and green normal .

Harvest when seedpod are still slender and pass 10 to 12 column inch long – in approximately 70 to 90 days .

‘ Mosaic ’

you’re able to discover ‘ Mosaic ’ semen in an assortment of mail boat sizesat True Leaf Market .

Orient Wonder

‘ Orient Wonder ’ produces bland , dark dark-green pods with splendid gustatory perception and grain .

Although these ones can reach 30 inches long , harvest pods in 80 twenty-four hour period when they are 12 to 18 inches long for best use up tone .

‘ Orient Wonder ’

you’re able to see ‘ Orient Wonder ’ come in packets of 20from Botanical Interests .

Purple Mart Tsu In

Interested in bring some color to your garden crops ? hear the saturnine purple pods of ‘ Purple Mart Tsu In . ’

This motley produces tender , stringless , 20 - inch pods in 75 to 80 days .

Unlike majestic coloured varieties ofP. vulgaristhat turn green when cooked , these pods turn from purpleness to black with preparation !

‘ Purple Mart Tsu In ’

You ’ll find ‘ Purple Mart Tsu In ’ seeds in a variety of parcel sizesat True Leaf Market .

Yu Long Noodle Kin

‘ Yu Long Noodle Kin ’ is an other maturing variety that produce dark immature pods in just 65 to 75 days . The cod pass on up to 30 inches long .

‘ Yu Long Noodle Kin ’

you may receive ‘ Yu Long Noodle Kin ’ seed in a variety of packet sizesavailable from True Leaf Market .

Managing Pests and Disease

Whenever you grow vegetables , there ’s always the chance that some insect will decide to make a meal out of your harvest or that sealed conditions will conspire to induce the works to contract a disease .

Read on to know what to be on the lookout for and how to prevent these problems .

Herbivores

Rabbitsanddeerwill merrily make a meal of your curtilage long beans before you have a fortune to glean . The best fashion to deter these herbivore is to use fencing to turf out them .

get wind more about building a DIY deer - proof fence here .

Insects

pestis are legion in the garden , but when you farm companion industrial plant to attractbeneficial insects , your chances of them doing much damage will diminish dramatically .

Predatory and parasitoid wasp , for instance , do an astonishing job at keeping pest population in bank check . And this craw gets extra protection from emmet , as discussed earlier in the article .

Here are a few pestis to appear out for :

Aphids are common garden pest that tend to congregate on the undersides of leaves . Their feeding causes stipple on the foliation and declamatory plague may stunt growth .

you’re able to expend a strong jet of water from yourgarden hoseto boom them off . Repeat daily for about a week – that may be all you need !

Learn more about control aphids here .

Cutworms are larval moths that cling out in the soil during the day , emerging at night to chew through the tender stem of youthful seedling .

What ’s left in the morning is a sorry sight to see – immature plants with their seed folio missing .

you could protect your seedling from cutworms by placing empty lav paper roll around them like mini fortresses to keep the pest out .

Ourguide to dealing with cutwormshas more information .

Have you note flatware or bronze speckles on the leaf of your railyard long edible bean plants , as well as black specks ? Thrips are plausibly at work .

They generally do n’t cause too much harm , but if you have a big infestation , check outour guide to controlling thripsto learn more .

Disease

Here ’s what you ’ll need to roll in the hay about disease and G retentive bean :

Damping off is a fungous disease that causes seedling to crack .

The pathogens be given to strike during damp , cool conditions , so be certain to sow seed or transplant after the conditions has warm up .

Learn more about damp off here .

Recognizable by the xanthous , mosaic - like pattern on flora foliage , both Bean Common Mosaic Virus ( BCMV ) and Cucumber Mosaic Virus ( CMV ) can affect thousand farseeing bonce .

This disease is pass around by infected seed as well as insects , so make certain to buy semen from trust sources .

Since there ’s no cure , take away all infected material from your garden and dispose of it .

Then make certain to strip anygarden toolsused while handling diseased foliage to prevent ranch .

Powdery mould is a fungal disease that make crops expect like they have been dusted with flour .

This disease come when conditions are humid but mild .

To prevent high humidity levels among your crops , follow spacing recommendation so that there is tolerable air period between plant .

And retrieve to water at the soil level rather of from overhead .

Learn more about powdery mildew here .

Harvesting yard farseeing bean pods regularly is central to keeping the industrial plant producing .

To have it away when to check them for readiness , concern to the recommended mature pod distance onyour seed packet .

When pods are the right duration , try snapping one in one-half . If it snaps cleanly , it ’s quick .

To remove pod from the vine , have the prow and then rend .

If you ’re not going to cook the cubic yard long noggin right away , you’re able to rinse off them off and lay in them in the fridge wrapped in a paper towel in an open plastic bag for up to five years .

Did you drop your windowpane to glean these legumes before the pods started to plump up ?

When the seeds start out to suppurate , you could also use them for shelling , or allow them to dry on the vine as a retentive keep staple .

you may preserve your M long bean harvest by freezing , canning , zymosis , and dehydrating .

To immobilize , set off by cleaning the pods , and snapping off the stems and ends if require . tailor them into one- or two - inch length , then blanch in boiling water for three minutes .

Remove the noodle from the boiling water system and plunk them directly into an icy water system bath , waste pipe , then set the pods in a deep-freeze - safe container in the freezer .

Be sure to remark the date on the container – the pods will be near for six to 12 calendar month .

To can these veggies you ’ll call for a pressure canner .

It ’s crucial to come a intrust recipe when force out non - acidulent foods due to the risk of botulism .

you could find tip for imperativeness tin produceat our sis internet site , Foodal .

zymosis is yet another saving method to deliberate .

This is fundamentally a pickling method acting but instead of vinegar , lactic acid producing bacteria provide the sourness .

To dehydrate , clean house the pods and cut them into sting sized length . Either sprinkle with herbs and salt before dry out them in a dehydrator or oven , or keep them plain .

Learn more about dehydrating garden produce here .

Recipes and Cooking Ideas

Yard long beans can be used very much likeharicot verts . They are gorgeous when cook quite simply – sauteed and flavored with nothing more than a slight salt .

Looking for something that pack more of a flavor lick ?

step in yard long bean in this hot recipe for sriracha tofu stir - fry with light-green beans and carrot – you ’ll find iton our babe site , Foodal .

Or if something cool sounds more appetising , why not try this formula for fried tofu and charred green bean salad , also from Foodal .

Looking for a mouth-watering side saucer that ’s delicious enough to enjoy as a roof of the mouth - pleasing meal in itself ?

employ a smattering of your grand long beans in this recipe for Italian dash gullible bonce coat in Olea europaea oil , Allium sativum , and love apple – it’salso on Foodal .

Your Supersized Green Bean Alternative

It does n’t get much better than yard long beans , folks : they ’re generously sized and delectable .

And if this craw is fresh to your refinement , you ’ll storm your friends and family when you serve them up at the dinner party mesa in their superlong gloriole !

require to keep take aboutgrowing edible bean in your garden ? We have more knowledge for you right on here :

© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . ware photos via Arbico Organics , Botanical Interests , High Mowing Organic Seeds , and True Leaf Market . Uncredited photograph : Shutterstock .

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Kristina Hicks - Hamblin