The Growing Gestation of Pinto Beans

Timing

• Pinto beans, under ideal conditions and with proper care, germinate within four to eight days. Within the first 30 days after planting the plant grows lots of foliage and flowers 32 to 40 days after planting. Pods develop over the next 10 days to two weeks. Finally, harvest occurs within 40 to 50 days after planting.

Preparation

• Treat the pinto bean seed with fungicide before planting. An easy way to do this is to add fungicide powder and the seeds to a bag and shake it to coat the seeds. There are few post-emergent herbicides listed for use on pinto bean crops, according to the experts at Texas A&M University. Killing the weeds before they sprout, with a pre-emergent herbicide, is critical to germination and crop success.

Planting

• Pinto beans are planted in 3-inch deep trenches, with three to four seeds per foot of row. When planting more than one row, space the rows 24 inches apart.

Care During Gestation

• Water for the first time two weeks after planting and then again 10 days after that. Water in the morning or mid-day so that the foliage dries before temperatures cool at night.