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A Growing and Seed Saving Guide
PhaseolusVulgaris
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Add description from GTS Seed Steward page
Days to Harvest: days (early maturing)
Average Planting Date: April -May (after last frost date).
Light: Plant in full sun
Days to germination: -
Seed Pledge: I commit to saving seeds from the earliest and best plants and sharing them with my community.
Return Address for Seeds
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Planting: Beans should be planted - weeks after the last spring frost, in full sun, when night time temperatures have warmed to at least °F. Sow seeds - . inches deep. Space the seeds inches apart in rows, with rows spaced feet apart. Keep moist until germination, then water weekly or when needed.
Pollinationnotes:Beans are self pollinating, no need to isolate.
Thinning: Once the bean seedlings reach - inches in height, thin them to achieve a final spacing of - inches between plants. When thinning, select the strongest and most vigorous plants to keep, removing the weaker ones. (Bean leaves and seedlings are edible as cooked greens!)
Someplantswillhavenatural resistancetopests,poorsoilor otherchallenges. Celebratethoseplants!
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Harvesting
Let the pods turn dry, tan and crisp on the plant
Not ready harvest
Selection:By saving a portion of your entire bean harvest, you will naturally be moving towards plants that are happier and more productive in your area (healthier plants make more seeds). Always save plenty of seeds so that you can plant thickly to thin out the unhappy plants next year, and share seeds with your community.
HarvestAllow pods to mature and dry on plant. If frost/rain threatens, pull the entire plant and hang to dry. Where possible, allow the pods to mature fully on the plant and begin to dry down into a crispy state.
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If you don’t have many, shell by hand. If you have a lot, put them in a bag or in a tub and dance on them to break up the pods. Repeat until pods are all are empty, and the beans are the bottom of the tub or bag.
SeparateChafffromBeans(Winnow):Use a fan or a breezy day to clean the beans by pouring out the mixed seeds and empty pods from one bin to another located beneath it (have a sheet under the bin in case you lose too many while learning).
The lighter chaff blows away while the heavier seeds fall into a container.
Photo of winnowing
Drying and Storage
Finish drying the beans on a screen, in the shade, or in a dehydrator set to F or less. A bean, when struck with a hammer should disintegrate and be dry through, not smash into a patty.
They are dry enough when hit with a hammer, they shatter rather than mash.
Storage:Once very dry, freeze the seeds in an airtight container (glass jar or tightly sealed plastic) for hours to kill any pests. When removing them from the freezer, allow the container to come to room temperature before opening, to prevent condensation from rehydrating seeds.
Look for photo from Marcos– storing beans
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No��r������in�� S������s
(a project of Xa Kako Dile:)
We are cultivating community resilience by spreading regionally adapted seeds and knowledge.
We envision Mendocino County as a hub for resilient seed diversity, where the seeds for the majority of plants grown are locally adapted and sourced
Come volunteer with us on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, to pm, at Xa Kako Dile:
N Hwy , Caspar, CA .
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We accept seeds, all year round. Please ensure that seeds are clean, dry, and labeled (use label in this booklet with minimum information filled out.)
We host workshops twice a year and volunteer days during the winter to help you clean your seeds. Visit NourishingSeeds.org to get on our mailing list and view our calendar.
Please contribute seeds to any of these locations:
● Xa Kako Dile's farmstand (open Fridays and Saturdays through most of the year)
● the Fort Bragg Library, or any Mendocino County Library branch (please clearly label bags "Seeds, Return to Fort Bragg Library")
Your returned seeds help ensure that everyone in our community has access to strong, locally-adapted varieties that will thrive in their
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Did you know that you can eat beans at all stages of maturity? The young, tender pods with unformed or very small beans inside are delicious cooked as green beans.
As the beans begin to form bulges inside the pods, the pods often become a bit stringy. However, the strings can be removed and the pods cooked.
If the beans have matured but are still green they can be removed and cooked (it is important to cook mature beans to eliminate the toxinphytohemagglutinin which is produced by some kinds of beans).
When the beans are mature enough for seed saving (pods dry and brittle) they can be used as dry beans in soup or chili, etc.
Whe���� ���� Be��n�� ������e ��r����?
Beans are one of humanity's oldest foods, with different types first grown by farmers across Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
Each culture developed their own special varieties suited to their land and needs. The beans in this booklet- like pintos, black beans, and kidney beans - trace back to the Indigenous farmers in the Americas.
Ancient farmers in central Mexico and the Andes mountains both began growing beans around , years ago. These two groups - thousands of miles apart - took wild beans from their regions and carefully grew them into the nutritious food we know today.
Add a Marcos photo
Seed packet
Please fill out this sticker or form and return with your seeds
Plant/species name:Common Bean
Variety (or parent varieties) LocalDiverseMix
Garden Location:________________________
Year: 2024 Your name: ______________________ Your email (or phone) _____________________________
LocallyAdapted,CommunitySelected YearbyYearGuide
How do crops adapt a crop to our local environment?
Year1: Lots of gardeners plant lots of seeds. Some plants will dobetter than others, and that’s OK, celebrate the strong ones. Save seeds from any plants that produce seeds, despite challenges.
Year2: Repeat the first year, but this time we can be more selective and saves seeds from the most delicious plants or fruits.
Year3andbeyond:Save seeds from plants with the traits that you love. This may include best flavor, dark colors or a preferred size and shape or early ripening. Keep the population diverse to allow it to keep adapting and evolving (always save seeds from multiple plants).
TheKey: Save your seeds and share then with the communitythrough your seed library. Your seeds will be mixed with everyone's andshared back out through the seed libraries.
In this guide, you'll learn how to grow and save seeds that get stronger and more delicious with each generation. Along the way, you'll join an ancient tradition of seed stewards, helping to heal our food system from the ground up.
Localization- Over time, seeds learn your soil, local pests,climate, and your habits, and will thrive with less effort from you.
Strengththroughcommunity- Share seeds, stories and knowledge. Every gardener adds to our local food security.
Selectforwhatyoulove- Grow food that matches what matters to you—flavor, sustainability, resilience, or all three.
