How to Grow Lentils in Kansas

Sow lentil seeds in spring when daytime temperatures remain consistently in the 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit range, which will be in April for most of Kansas. The plants prefer cool conditions and generally aren’t bothered by light frosts.

Plant the seeds in neutral, sandy, well-drained loam in full sun, beside a low trellis about 2 feet tall. Avoid sites where other legumes, sunflowers, beets or potatoes have been recently grown, and keep the lentil plants away from members of the onion family.

Work finely ground phosphate rock and granite dust into the soil to provide phosphorous and potassium, using 10 pounds of each per 100 square feet. Avoid adding extra nitrogen, since legumes generally fix that themselves from the soil, and too much of it will produce lush plants but few beans.

Dust the lentil seeds with an inoculant that contains Rhizobium leguminosarum just before you plant them. This will help the seedlings' roots make nodules to retain nitrogen.

Use your hoe to dig a planting furrow beside the trellis. Make the furrow 1 inch deep in heavy soils and 1 1/2 inch deep in lighter loams. Space the seeds 1 inch apart in that furrow and cover them with soil.

Keep that soil damp while the seeds are germinating, which should take about 10 days. Once the lentils have sprouted, thin the seedlings so that they stand 4 inches apart. Mulch the soil with 2 inches of straw to help it retain moisture and to suppress weeds. Lentils are adapted to dry climates and shouldn't require supplemental irrigation except under drought conditions.

Cut or pull the plants in late summer or fall after they have begun to turn yellow and their lower pods are brown. Early lentils usually mature about three months after their seeds are planted, but can take up to six months for late varieties.

Spread the plants in the sun to dry for one to two weeks. If the weather threatens rain, use garden twine to hang them in an airy outbuilding instead, where they will be protected from moisture.

Gather a bunch of the plants by their stems or roots, after they are thoroughly dry. Slap the heads of the plants back and forth inside a large bucket or garbage can, striking the sides of the container until the lentils fall out of their pods into its bottom. Continue this "threshing" until all of the lentils have been extracted from their pods.

Winnow the lentils on a breezy day by holding the container high above an empty one and pouring them from one into the other. Repeat this process until most of the chaff has blown away. Store the lentils in a cool, dry location in moisture-proof containers, such as glass jars with screw-on lids.