Re: [gardeners] harvesting dry beans
Barbara J. Davis (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Thu, 17 Sep 1998 08:54:36 -0500
When it comes to drying the beans either for consumption or seeds, one
can do it two ways: 1) after the plants have yellowed and stopped
producing and pods look mature, cut down the entire plant and store
until they can be threshed or 2) once the pods are obviously mature and
dry, pull the pods from the plants then either store the dry pods or
shell out the beans like one would peas. To help thresh/shell, they
can be laid on a hard surface and something rolled over them to shatter
the pods and release the beans.
Barbara zone 7/8 southwest of Fort Worth, TX
> Has anyone grown beans for harvest as dry beans? I have soybeans and some
> pole beans that I'd like to harvest as dry beans. Should they be protected
> from frost? I think I need to cut down the soybeans and let them finish
> drying on the ground, shouldn't I? The pole beans I'd like to dry
> principally for use as seed next year. Should I just pick some mature pods
> and let them dry? Thanks, Margaret
>
>