Growing Dry Beans

What is a dry bean and which varieties should I grow?

Dry beans are varieties left on the plant until pods and seeds mature and dry. Common types include kidney, pinto, black, navy and many heirlooms. Choose varieties suited to your season length.

Bush types are simpler for beginners, while pole types use vertical space.

Pole beans yield for a longer time per square foot, but they need a trellis. Bush beans ripen close together, which makes harvest easier for those who want a single drying pull. Order seed from a supplier that sells dry bean varieties for your region, and save notes on yield and cooking quality so you can pick favorites. Heirloom types often have excellent flavor and stories attached, and saving seed from them is easy because beans mostly pollinate themselves.

When do I plant dry beans?

Plant after the last spring frost and when soil has warmed, since cold, wet soil can rot seeds. Your extension office can give you a soil temperature guide.

Check the days to maturity on the packet and compare it to the time you have before your first fall frost.

A cold snap soon after sowing can lose a planting. Keep a little seed in reserve so you can sow again if the first batch rots or fails. A sheet of cloth or a cover over seedlings can protect them if a late frost threatens after sowing, but keep an eye on warmth under the cover.

How do I care for plants during the season?

Beans do best in well-drained soil in full sun. Keep weeds down, water in dry spells, and avoid working in the patch when leaves are wet, which can spread disease.

Take a soil test before adding fertilizer. Beans fix much of their own nitrogen, so heavy feeding is often unnecessary.

Mulch can hold soil moisture and reduce weeds. Keep it back from the stems early so the soil still warms. Avoid heavy overhead watering late in the season when pods are drying. Mulch lightly once the soil is warm, and avoid cultivating deeply near the shallow roots of the plants. Wide spacing helps air movement, which reduces leaf diseases, while very tight spacing makes harvest harder.

• Full sun
• Even moisture without waterlogging
• Weeding while young
• Avoid handling wet plants

How do I know when to harvest?

Pods turn from green to yellow or tan and become dry and papery, and seeds rattle inside. Pull plants or pick pods when most are dry, ideally before heavy fall rain.

If rain threatens, pull plants and finish drying them under cover.

If the season is wet and plants will not dry in the field, pull whole plants and hang them in a covered, airy spot. Pods dry better when air can move around them.

How do I dry, shell and store dry beans?

Spread pods in a dry, airy place until brittle, then shell by hand or by gentle threshing. Beans must be hard and dry before storage.

Store in airtight containers in a cool, dark spot. Freezing for a time can help control pests that arrive with the harvest, though ask your extension office for current advice.

Shelling a large harvest by hand is slow. Some people put dry pods in a clean sack and tread on them, then winnow the chaff in a light breeze. Work in clean conditions. Label jars with the variety and the harvest season. Older beans take longer to cook, so use the oldest first and rotate your stock.

What problems should I watch for?

Common troubles include seeds rotting in cold soil, bean beetles and fungal disease in wet weather. Rotate plantings and keep the garden tidy.

Always cook dry beans thoroughly using a tested method, since some raw beans can cause illness. Check a reliable source for cooking safety.

Rotate where you plant beans each year so disease builds up less, and remove old plant debris at the end of the season. If you plan to sell dry beans, rules for packaging, labeling and food safety are local and vary by state and county, so ask your department of agriculture first. Watch for leaf spots, wilting and chewed leaves, and remove badly affected plants. Pests and disease pressure differs by region, so ask your extension office what to expect in your area.

How many beans should I plant?

A packet of seed grows far fewer beans than most people expect. If you want enough to last a season, plan a larger patch than for fresh beans, and record your yield so you can scale your plan.

Ask your extension office what yields are normal in your area and which varieties finished well in local trials. Your own record is the best guide after the first year.

Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Written by the Homestead & Small Farm Editorial Team. See our editorial policy.