Family: Fabaceae
Common name: Beans, Common Beans, French beans, Haricot beans, Bean, Bush Beans, Kidney beans, Green beans, Garden beans, Pole beans, String beans, Snap beans, Poroto, Rajma
Beans are one of the most widely eaten and cultivated leguminous vegetable grown in all countries of the world, though they are native to South and Central America. They belong to the Fabaceae family, and have a variety of species, hybrids, and cultivars like Kidney beans, Bush beans, String beans, Snap beans, Black beans, and many more.
Plant Characteristics
Bush beans usually grow to a height of 50-60 cm, while Climbing beans can grow 2-3 meters tall. Roots are fibrous and shallow, spreading mostly horizontal along the ground, and hence these plants can be easily removed from the soil.
Roots are characterized by Rhizobium bacteria that help fix atmospheric nitrogen by converting them into nitrates and nitrites that can be easily absorbed by plants. This is typical of most plants in the Fabaceae family, helping improve the soil quality.
Leaves of the Common beans have 3 broad green leaftlets in a triangular shape, growing from a thick petiole. These leaves are 10-15 cm long, bright green, broad, ovate, with a smooth margin and a slightly pointy tip. Tender leaves can be eaten as vegetables after cooking.
Stems is mostly green and tender, with a slightly woody texture and brown color,only at the base. Bean flowers have the typical shape of Fabaceae flowers with five petals – two petals at the top called wings, two small ones at the sides called keels, and a large petal called a banner at the bottom.
Flowers are produced in clusters called racemes, raised on long stalks. Each flower contains male and female reproductive organs, and hence they are capable of self-pollination.
Small insects, bees, and other pollinators help in cross-pollination when they visit the beautiful flowers that come in a range of colors like white, pink, and purple.
Fruits of Common beans are long pods with an outer covering that protects the seeds inside. They are typically green, though there are variants with pink, purple, and red seedpods.
Beans are usually 10-20 cm long with a cylindrical or flattened shape that has small bulges where the seeds are. Bean pods usually start out green, later turning yellow and then brown on maturity.
When they mature, these fruits or seedpods open to release the seeds. Each pod contains 4-6 beans, though this can vary based on the variety, and length of the pod.
The seeds inside, called the beans, come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, from small white beans to mottled white, yellow, red, black, and variegated ones.
Some of the popular cultivars that can be identified by the color of the Beans are Anasazi, Haricot, Black turtle, Kidney beans, Bolita, Pinto, White, Tiger’s eyes, and so on. Calypso beans also called Yin Yang or Panda beans are half white and half black.
Beans plants grow and flower very quickly, about 40-60 days after planting, and the beans are ready to harvest in 90-100 days, if the beanpods are harvested to be eaten as vegetables. It would take 4-6 months if the beans are harvested after drying, to be eaten as dry beans.
Gardening Tips
Though they are grown in all countries around the world, these plants typically prefer warm weather. They can be grown in tropical countries throughout the year, but in temperate weather, they are grown in spring and summer.
Bean plants prefer good sunlight and well-drained, nutrient-rich soil. Plant them sufficiently apart so that the Bean plants have space to grow and fruit.
For climbing beans, make sure that they are provided with stakes or supporting structures to climb. Nets make particularly good support since the vines can climb easily, with enough support when the heavy bean pods are produced.
Watering is needed at all stages of the plant life, since the leaves might droop when there is not enough water. Fertilize every 2-3 weeks with a well-balanced fertilizer rich in phosphorus and potassium.
Since these plants can produce their own nitrogen, there is no need to add extra nitrogen to the soil. Pruning is usually not needed for bush beans or climbing beans, unless there is a diseased branch to be removed.
Bean plants are very prone to pest attacks on the leaves and tender seedpods. It is beneficial to spray them with neem oil or organic pesticides at the first sign of an infestation.
They are very closely related to Vigna unguiculata or Cowpeas and Psophocarpus tetragonolobus or Winged beans.
Uses of Common Beans
Beans are usually eaten in three forms.
1. Immature seedpods – The seedpods are harvested when they are tender and green. These can be boiled, steamed, cooked, stir-fried, or added into dishes with other vegetables. In India, they are usually cooked with onions, garlic, and grated coconut, to be eaten with rice or rotis.
2. Mature Beans – Tender beans are taken out from mature seedpods. These can be cooked and eaten as vegetable. The harvest time is slightly longer for these since the seeds needs to mature on the plant before they are harvested.
3. Dried Beans – Mature or dried seeds are harvested after the seed pods are dry. Or mature seeds can be dried in the sun or in machines. These beans are usually soaked overnight for ease of cooking, and then used in dishes after cooking, or even made into a mash.
Flour made from these dried beans is a nutrient-rich additive to other flours while making rotis, or for thickening soups. Young leaves can be eaten raw, or cooked and eaten as green leafy vegetables.
Beans contain water and carbohydrates, but also small amounts of protein, Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Manganese, and other micronutrients. It is not common knowledge that raw beans contain toxins that will be removed after boiling them in water for 10 minutes, at the boiling temperature of 100°C.
Parts of the Bean plant are used in traditional herbal medicine in the treatment of ulcers, diabetes, cough, and rheumatism.
Propagation
Propagation is through seeds.
Healthy, high-quality seeds can be dried and sown in moist soil for germination in 6-8 days. They can be sown close to each other, but they should be replanted once the plants are 10-15 cm tall, so that each plant gets enough space and nutrition. The entire sowing-harvesting cycle can be completed in 2-3 months.
Photographed at: GKVK, Bangalore, and my own garden at Sobha Petunia, Bangalore
