Characteristics of Growing Kidney Beans

Bean Appearance

• The kidney bean has a distinct appearance that separates it from other beans, including other dried beans such as pintos and navies. Kidneys are named for their characteristic organ-like shape, and are generally larger than most other beans, especially other dried ones. They are best known as dark red beans, which contributes to their comparison to an internal organ, but they also come in lighter shades of red, as well as white, brown, yellow, black or mottled. The different colors have different tastes and consistencies, so generally cannot be interchanged in a recipe.

Growing Conditions

• Kidney beans thrive well in USDA climate zones four and higher, which means that they need an average low temperature above 30 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. This allows them to grow as far north as Maine and the areas around the Great Lakes, and as far south as Mexico. Bean plants thrive best in areas with long summers and autumns, as well as minimal rainfall in the autumn, so that the bean pods have time to dry fully on the stems before the first frost of winter.

Planting

• The most important characteristic of a growing site for kidney beans is that the soil must be quick to drain. Soil that holds on to excess water for too long contributes to mold and fungus growth, as well as weak roots for the bean plant. Adding a few inches of aged compost, manure or peat moss to your planting area before sowing the bean seeds can help to improve drainage as well as increase the fertility of your soil. When planting, sow bean seeds 3 inches apart, in rows at least 2 feet apart to make it easier for you to move among them to water or harvest.

Harvesting

• Kidney beans take on a characteristic look and feel when it is time for harvest. Harvest is usually done in late fall or early winter, when the kidney bean pods are completely dried. Most of the seed pods will turn yellow, and some may fade to brown. Remove a single pod and open it to inspect the beans; they should feel dry to the touch, and if you press on them with your thumb or your teeth, you should hardly see any indentation at all. This is the best time to harvest kidney beans.