Black Beans

[Erik W]

I want to try growing my own black beans.  Here's a dumb question...  Can I take the dried beans I've bought and plant them?  Or do I need to get special seeds?

 

Otherwise do you treat them like peas?

[crowjoy]

Maybe try sprouting a few and see how it goes?

 

Only trouble with not knowing the cultivar is you won't know if they need to climb or not. I guess if you plan for climbers and they don't, nothing lost. I'm trying a black bean this year called Black Valentine, and it's a dual purpose fresh or dried and bush habit. Hopeful!

[Mark Norton]

Brigid and I are doing pea and kidney beans - both bush varieties.  We are also trying edamame soy beans (also bush beans) for the first time.  Good luck on the black beans, Erik.  My guess is that they would be a bush bean, also.

[Erik W]

Thanks Mark...  We'll see how it goes!