DRYING BEANS
Drying beans such as Borlotti are grown the same as regular beans, but are left on the plant to be dried and used later. If you have the space to dedicate to a long slow to harvest crop, I highly recommend giving drying beans a try.
Sowing
- Drying beans are hungry little plants so it is best to grow in fertile and moisture retentive soil
- The most popular drying bean Borlotti has a very long growing season, so it is tempting to plant early. I strongly advise against this because frost will kill them.
-Drying beans are best sown in pots indoors/ greenhouses in mid spring.
- Plant out at 8cm tall which is normally around 8 weeks later
Dwarf varieties space plants 23cm apart and rows of 45cm apart
- Climbers space 23cm apart, but use the teepee formation we show in the runner bean grow guide.
-Water really well when flowering to encourage flowers to set and then stop watering in late summer to allow them to dry out
23cm
Between each plant
45cm
Between each row
Harvest
- Borlotti beans can be used fresh, but are most usually dried for storage
- Leave on the plant until the beans rattle inside the pods
- Store in airtight containers
- Always cook before eating
Varieties
- Borlotti lingua di fuoco: Both climbing and dwarf, this is the pink speckled bean you continuously see
- Canadian wonder: dwarf
- Lamon: plentiful gourmet pods
- Ying Yang (orca bean): Ideal for containers it’s a pretty black and white bean
- Spagna Bianco: Climbing long flat pods