Growing pinto beans is not as hard as it seems. If you have a garden, you’re in luck! You can grow them there and reap the benefits of your hard work sooner. Or, if you don’t have space for a garden, consider growing pinto beans on your porch or patio with pots or planters. In this blog post, we will walk through how to grow pinto beans step by step and provide maintenance tips that will keep your plants healthy throughout their lifetime.
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Pinto Beans Fact and Information
If you enjoy Mexican food, then you probably eat a lot of pinto beans. Pinto beans are popular in cuisine because they sprout quickly and grow well in drier climates like the south of the border.
Growing pinto beans is one of the easiest ways to add more veggies to your diet, as these delicious natural sources of protein and fiber can aid in digestion. Pintos are named for their colorful bean appearance, which translates into “painted” from Spanish vernacular.
Growing pinto beans is an excellent way for gardeners to expand their bean harvest. Pinto beans are a great crop to grow if you live in a subtropical region, have never grown before, or enjoy Mexican food.
Pintos are a Mexican bean used in many traditional dishes from this region, including refried beans. The plants are low-growing runner varieties that reach approximately 20 inches tall. Sow seeds 4″ apart with 24–36″ between rows for successful results; seedlings should be thinned as needed if they seem crowded or do not survive well when crowded into their first season in the garden (generally by late April). As pinto beans are sensitive to cold weather, they grow best in sandy loam conditions while providing enough moisture.
Pintos are a type of dry bean that can take 90 to 150 days to grow if left out as dried beans, but they can also be eaten as a green snap bean. Pinto beans come in bush and pole varieties.
Pintos require little care, although they need more space between plants than other beans. They grow and thrive in subtropical climes so that they can be sensitive to cold temperatures. Pintos are tolerant of short winters with long summers for full sun exposure (at least six hours per day), which must be warm enough to mature their pods before the first frost when applicable.
Maintaining pintos does not require much effort: as with most crops, maintaining a proper soil pH (6-7) is essential; fertilizing every eight weeks is optimal for yield production, and weed control requires vigilance due to dense plant growth.
Pinto beans can be challenging to grow, and it’s important not to plant them where other beans have been growing for at least three years. Pinto beans need ample space to thrive, so direct sow the seeds instead of transplanting.
The right planting time for pinto beans is between late March and early April, though you can also plant them a few weeks earlier.
The previous year’s crop of old plants or good compost will provide an excellent natural fertilizer to the soil to make it fertile. The ground must be moist before you plant the pinto beans seed.
To grow pinto beans, you can start them indoors and then transplant them once the weather is warm. They do well in containers as companion plants with cucumbers, celery, and strawberries. While they taste great when mixed, avoid planting near onion, garlic, or fennel in the garden.
Health Benefit of Pinto Beans
Fight Cancer
Pinto beans also have heart-healthy benefits that help the body fight against cancer. The pinto bean is high in anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. A type of polyphenol called kaempferol, present in pinto beans, reduces inflammation and prevents cells outside the normal prostate area from converting into cancerous ones.
Antioxidants
Pinto beans are packed with flavonoids to help reduce inflammation. These beneficial antioxidants may slow the growth of tumors and increase healthy cells by increasing their survival rate. Increased kaempferol intake has also shown several bonus benefits, including many healthful properties that other studies have found in foods with this flavonoid.
Protein and Carb source
Pinto beans are jam-packed with high protein, nutritious carbs, and great taste. Growing these healthy beans isn’t that hard either-it could be a fun project for kids because they’ll help harvest the produce!
Tips on How to Grow Pinto Beans
- Don’t plant pintos too early.
Beans are generally direct sown around or just after the last spring frost. Direct seeding late might result in too much moisture and make beans more susceptible to disease by slowing down their ability to develop resistance before they become mature. The most important point about growing pinto beans is not planting them too early. Sensitive to cold and moist soil
Pinto Beans are sensitive to cold and moist soil. The seedlings may rot before they develop reproductive organs, but Pinto beans, in general, require at least 80 days of warm soil to grow. To get started earlier in the season, you can use black plastic. This will warm the soil and make it easier for your seedlings to sprout.
- Prepare the right soil pH.
Growing Pinto beans is easy. Plant the pintos in well-draining soil with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0. Use compost before planting and soak them overnight before growing begins so that they don’t need fertilizer.”
- Use Compost
Composting attracts more nutrients to the soil and improves drainage, growing a more significant, healthier crop. This is done by mixing an inch of compost into the seedbed before planting pinto beans.
- Fertilizing
To fertilize a 50 sq. ft patch of pinto beans, apply 1/2 lb 16-16-8 fertilizer per season and work it into the top 6 inches of soil. This application provides all the nutrients the plants need for that season as there are only deep roots reaching up to 6 inches down.
- Direct Sunlight
For maximum growth, pinto beans need plenty of suns. Plant them in an area that receives six hours of direct sunlight and get even more sun if possible.
- Plant Direction
Plant beans with the eye facing downward, at a rate of 1 ½ inch (4 cm.) deep and 4 to 6 inches (10-15 cm.) apart. Leave 2 feet (61 cm) between rows when planting pinto beans.
- Arrange your Plant
Pinto beans need densely spaced plants to avoid competition for light, water, and nutrients. Plant pinto bean seeds 2-4 inches apart in rows or blocks with 4-6 inch row spacing. Wait until the seedlings are at least 6″ tall before thinning plants to 12 inches apart.
- Pole-type Pinto Beans
Pole-type beans require support for them to grow on. Pinto bean plants should be given enough time before plants are needed to ensure the support is in place. Plant 3-6 seeds per teepee, or every 6 inches apart from each other.
- Combining pinto beans with other plants
Beans thrive in well-ventilated areas. They should not be planted in the same soil more than once every four years and can companion plants with other plants such as corn, strawberries, and cucumbers. What is especially harmful to beans is onions or fennel, so it is best to avoid planting them next to one another at all costs.
- Growing time
Plant them in soil, keeping the soil damp. It should take 8 to 14 days for the seeds to grow if temperatures are between 70 and 80 degrees F. (21-26 C.). After emerging, thin them out, so they are 6 inches apart rather than 3 inches apart.
- Watering
Watering the plants at regular intervals is the best way to ensure that they grow. When watering, be sure to water from below and keep the leaves dry so fungus won’t take hold of your plants.
- Weeding
You can prevent weeds by keeping the area around your pinto beans clear. Otherwise, keep an eye on them and pull any plant that begins to pop up next to the pinto beans while not disturbing their roots. Add compost tea halfway through the growing process using a spray bottle or drip system. This is generally enough without fertilizing as well.
Maintaining the Pinto Beans
Watering Instruction
To grow pinto beans, it is essential to water the plant regularly but not too often. One way to ensure this is by only watering when the top one inch of soil feels dry or during a drought
When watering, make sure that the surface of any leaf is not wet, as this can promote fungal or other damaging conditions, so try not to get these parts wet while watering down your pinto beans. Make sure to check the top layer of soil for dryness and water when it seems that these types of beans are becoming less resistant to drought.
In gardens with more extensive areas or in drier climates, set up a sprinkler system. Shut off the sprinklers around 2 p.m. To give it time to dry before sunset.
When pods turn yellow, stop watering, so they have a chance to dry out before harvest.
Fertilizer
Beans are generally relatively self-sufficient because they produce their nitrogen; however, if your plants have pale leaves, this indicates a nutrient deficiency. You will need to use a natural fertilizer such as fish emulsion or just about any other type. Different type of growing pinto beans
Bush beans mature before pole beans, but they grow all at once. Planting every two weeks will allow bush beans to have a longer harvest time. Pole beans need some time to get their vines established before producing any crops- the crop for pole beans will last about one month or so.
Pole beans are mainly dependent on water. Keep your plant well-watered and mulch around the roots to hold in moisture. Halfway through its season, give pole beans a fertilizer or manure meal for best production.
Weeding regularly
Pinto beans should be kept weed-free by gently pulling out the weeds around them with your hands. Please do not use a tool, as pinto bean roots are short and fragile, making it more difficult for the plant to thrive.
To effectively manage weeds, we recommend you start early. Pinto beans, for instance, are not competitive with weeds the first month after emergence.
After they sprout, wait one week before weeding again. Carefully check the garden every other day and weed anytime weeds start to grow next to your pinto beans.
After planting, you will thin the plants and weed out the less developed or sickly ones. Once they have established themselves in soil, you should remove all kinds of weeds that grow between rows to give them a better chance at harvesting and produce a good crop.
Herbicide
An effective pre-emergence herbicide is needed for reasonable weed control. If you want to grow pinto beans, make sure you get a broadleaf weed killer before the weeds emerge. Buying it beforehand will save time and hassle later on!
Herbicides are an effective way of controlling weeds that pose a threat to crops. Herbicides can be applied according to the label directions, combined with shallow post-emergence tillage, and planted at the right time for weed control.
Mulching
The feeder roots of pinto beans are shallow, so mulching can prevent the weeds from growing and decrease the plant’s exposure to cold weather.
Mulching is a great way to help your soil retain moisture and not have to water beans as much. The mulch can be covered with the layer of “mulch blanket” that’s right for your soil, and you won’t need to worry about it again until next season.
Pinto beans grow relatively quickly, usually within a week of planting. Once they have grown, you can increase your mulch to 2 inches and reduce the watering frequency to maintain moisture content 6 inches deep in topsoil.
Pest and Disease
- Root Problem
If your pinto beans have root rot, be sure to water them moderately. Poor roots, the appearance of galls on them, stunting, and yellowing of leaves can indicate nematode infection. To prevent this problem, use pre-plant fumigation at least 14 days before planting or with nematicides applied at planting.
- Insects
Pinto beans are sometimes attacked by aphids, spider mites, whiteflies, leafhoppers, or beetles. These pests can be identified by your local agricultural extension, which has more information on these. Your regional agricultural extension will have suggestions for combating these pests with identification information and tips of what you should watch out for in your geographical area.
When insects are in your garden, spray to get rid of them or pick them off with your hands. You can also invite helpful bugs into the garden to dislodge the problem.
Inspect for signs of pests and disease at least once a week or more often if needed. Dry beans are especially susceptible to leaf feeders and cutworms, so be vigilant early on in the season.
- Fungus
In damp environments, dry beans, like pintos, are more vulnerable to spoilage. Ideally, soil drainage should be sufficient to prevent fungi from growing and make the crop available for harvesting.
Harvesting Pinto Beans
Harvesting pinto beans will not take place until 90 to 150 days have passed. Generally, harvesting is done when the beans are still green and immature. It will probably take at least several weeks for dry beans to mature before they can be harvested; at this point, they will be firm and pencil-sized in thickness.
Growing pinto beans is an easy way to get a fresh crop of both green and mature beans. Beans should be grown at the proper harvest time. Beans that are picked too early will not develop an adequate flavor and texture, but beans harvested too late can be challenging or unpalatable.
- Tenderness
When the beans reach a point where they are firm and can be quickly snapped, harvest time has come. Tenderness is key when harvesting beans. Harvesting can be done by gently pulling beans from the vines or by snapping off at the vine end if harvesting immediately.
- Snap beans
Snap varieties of beans are ready to be harvested when they snap cleanly in half. Shell varieties require a bit more observation before the bean can be picked since it may not always have entirely turned yellow or brown. The shell also needs to crack with a quick twist or pull from the stem end.
Snap beans are harvested before the pod is mature, and the enclosed seeds have a significant size. Compared to other types of beans, snap beans have a shorter time window for an optimal crop yield.
- Mature indication
Pinto beans are harvested when they mature. The pods plump and are green in color at maturity and resemble a length of string about 4-6 inches long. There is no need to pick them one by one; snap or pull off the vine instead.
Be sure that you give your plants space so the pods can fully dry in the air. If rain ruins the dry beans, sometimes they are still mature; it is best to pull them from the ground and hang them up instead of the ground because of what rain does to moisture content.
Pinto beans are best grown with a healthy harvest in mind. Mind the pod diameter, as it generally should measure between ⅛-1/4″. A few pods sampled for sampling is worth step one to starting harvest season.
- Stop watering before harvesting.
To harvest your pinto beans, stop watering them for about two weeks beforehand. This will make the bean pods change color and dry faster.
Beans are often preserved and eaten as dry beans after the pods have been allowed to develop on the vine.
Pinto beans are harvested after they have puffed up in the pods. They need to be picked at a later stage of growth because they’ll taste better, and any seeds that develop will stay intact throughout the drying process.
Dry pinto beans are not harvested until their pods have matured and the seeds inside can be removed from their pod. They require threshing to remove excess materials.
Storage
Fresh pinto beans must be shelled before they can be eaten. This is accomplished by pulling strings in the top of the pod that will open it, revealing two to five beans.
Pinto beans are shelled by hand and left to dry in a dark, cool place. After harvest, hang the pods upside-down inside until they have completely dried, and then remove them outside on a windy day, where you will pour the threshed beans between two containers before shelling them.
Store dried beans in a container with enough space to allow them to expand, such as a jar or bin. After storing for three years, they will be unable to absorb water and won’t be suitable for cooking.
Beans need to be stored in an environment that will keep them at a stable humidity and temperature. To do this, one should consider installing a positive flow aeration system. This would help control the humidity as well as provide stability for the beans’ moisture content.
Ensure you store fresh pinto beans in a plastic bag before placing them in the freezer, and dried pinto beans should be stored in an airtight container.
Common Question
- Can you plant pinto beans from the grocery store?
No. If you want to grow pinto beans for a successful harvest, it’s best to buy seeds from a reputable seed company and start growing your own container garden or in your backyard farm plot.
You can either purchase a pinto bean plant at your favorite online garden center or find smaller pots of them at the farmer’s market if you live in an area with appropriate climates. However, keep in mind that some plants may take longer to grow than others depending on how long before harvesting.
- How many pinto beans will one plant produce?
Sixteen beans per pound mean that each plant would produce only 16 beans; pintos should make 120 under normal conditions. 60 per ounce, though, is on the high end of the pinto bean scale.
- Where do pinto beans grow best?
Growing pinto beans is popular in Texas, with the highest quality and yield coming from the High Plains region of Northwest Texas. In 1989, there were 4,928 acres of pinto bean crops in Texas, but this number grew to 18,351 by 1990.
Planting pintos in different areas of a vegetable garden is an easy way to improve crop rotation. Estimated yields are high, ranging from 900-2000 pounds per acre.
- Are pinto beans perennial?
Pinto beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) are short-growing annual plants that grow during the warm summer months. The beans are high in protein and inexpensive to produce, making them an important food crop.
Phaseolus vulgaris encompasses many more species than just pinto beans. It includes black beans, northern beans, kidney beans, navy beans, and white beans.
Pinto beans are annual plants, meaning they grow from seed to harvest in a single growing season. This post will provide information on how to grow pinto beans from the germination of seeds through harvest.
In Conclusion
Growing pinto beans can be a fun and rewarding experience. They are easy to grow, very hearty plants that need little care once they’re established. Growing pinto beans can be a complicated process, but it is possible with the right tools and techniques.
It is important to remember that growing pinto beans are not only a great way to get some fresh vegetables, but it also provides you with an opportunity for community and fellowship.
We hope this post has given you the information needed to start your vegetable garden. Please share your thought about this post and give us some feedback on how to make it better.