How to Grow Cranberry Beans

Much like their cousins in the fruit family, cranberry beans can be a tasty treat. They don't really resemble the red, juicy and sweet cranberries familiar to most people; on the contrary, they are marble red and cream shell beans that can be eaten fresh or dried. These beans have a short growing season; they are generally available fresh at farmer's markets only in the late summer and early fall. Growing your own cranberry beans can keep the flavorful beans flowing into your meals.

Things You'll Need

• Flower pots
• Potting soil
• Dried cranberry beans
• Cup or watering can
• Water
• Plastic wrap

Instructions

1. Fill the flower pots ¾ of the way with potting soil. Any generic flowering or potting soil from a garden center or nursery will suffice.

2. Plant two beans per pot; press the seeds about ½ inch under the surface of the soil.

3. Water the soil well, so that it is moist but not flooded. The amount of water needed will vary by the size of your pot.

4. Cover the top of the pots with plastic wrap. Place the pots in an area where they will receive full sunlight for at least two hours a day. The plastic wrap will keep the soil warmer, promoting growth in the young seeds.

5. Water the plants every day to keep the soil moist. If your pots collect rainwater, the soil will already be moist.

6. Remove the plastic wrap when you see stalks begin to grow. Make sure the wrap is removed before the stalks grow large enough to surpass the top of the plant.

7. Transfer the plants to a larger container, such as a larger flower pot or a barrel, if they outgrow their flower pots. Cranberry bean plants can grow to be six feet tall.

Tips & Warnings

• Cranberry bean plants grow as stalks. As they get larger, you may need to tie them to a long wooden stick or ruler to keep them from tipping over.

• If you are out of the summer growing season for cranberry beans, consider growing them in the house where it is warm, or in a greenhouse.

• Be careful not to overwater cranberry bean plants.

References

• Bay Area Bites: Cranberry Beans
• GrowingTaste.com: Growing Beans