How to Cultivate Legumes

Fresh peas in the garden

Growing legumes in the home garden allows you to enjoy the abundant crops from peas and beans. Pole varieties take up little space in the garden, as they grow vertically instead of sprawling. Bush beans take up more space but are well-suited to container gardens where 6 foot vines are an issue. Cultivating legumes takes minimal work, as they require little care once established and the young seedlings don't need fussing over. They create their own nitrogen in the soil, so fertilization needs are minimal and they actually improve the soil for subsequent vegetable crops. Does this Spark an idea?

Things You'll Need

• Compost
• Hoe
• Power tiller
• Supports
• Mulch

Instructions

1. Prepare the soil in fall for peas or in early spring for beans. Peas are an early spring crop, planted once the ground thaws and dries enough to be worked. Plant beans after all frost danger has passed in later spring.

2. Lay a 1- to 2-inch layer of mature compost over the planting bed to prepare it. Till it in to a 6-inch depth with a hoe or power tiller.

3. Sow legumes at a 1-inch soil depth. Space peas 2 inches apart in rows and beans 4 inches apart in rows.

4. Install a trellis behind each row or a 6-foot tall stake behind each seed. Install supports at the time of planting to avoid damaging surface roots, which can occur during later installations.

5. Water immediately after planting. Keep the soil moist but not soggy thereafter. Legumes require approximately 1 inch of water a week, supplied in a single deep watering as opposed to frequent shallow watering.

6. Weed between the plants by hand to avoid damaging the surface roots of the legumes. Apply a 2-inch layer of organic mulch over the bed once the seedlings emerge to prevent weeds and maintain soil moisture.

7. Harvest legumes once the pods are ripe. Pick snap beans and edible pod peas before the seeds begin swelling in the pods. Pick shelling peas when the pods swell with the pea seeds inside but are still tender and green. Pick dry beans once the pods change color and dry out, seeds rattling inside.

Tips & Warnings

• Fertilize legumes when the pods begin forming if the leaves are yellowish. Perform a soil test to find exact fertilization amounts and type.

• Legumes are prone to several diseases. Planting resistant varieties and rotating the planting bed each season minimizes the risk.