How to grow beans for drying

With beans grown for drying, the pods are allowed to fully ripen and dry out on the plant, then the beans can be stored for use over winter in stews, soups, casseroles and salads. Borlotti beans are a popular choice, and some runner and French beans can also be grown this way. 

Start harvesting mature beans from mid-summer onwards, once the pods dry out

Most beans grown for drying are climbers, as these are more productive. Dwarf varieties can be used too, but produce smaller crops. They also don’t dry as well on the plant, as the pods often touch the ground, where they can get damp and rot, so dwarf varieties are best picked and dried indoors.

Borlotti beans are the best-known beans for drying, but most runner and French beans can be grown in this way, although certain varieties are particularly suitable. Different varieties produce dried beans of various colours, including white, brown and purple. Other beans specifically for drying include the striking black and white ‘Yin Yang’ beans. You’ll find an array of different beans growing in the veg areas of the RHS gardens over the summer months, so do visit to compare varieties and pick up growing tips.

Choose a warm, open, sunny growing site, ideally with light, free-draining soil. Weed thoroughly, then fork in lots of home-made garden compost or well-rotted manure – at least two bucketfuls per square metre/yard. Ideally do this a few weeks ahead of sowing or planting out, to allow the ground to settle. Alternatively, if you're practising no-dig, mulch the soil ahead of sowing or planting directly into the mulch.

When growing beans for drying, rather than for eating the young pods, a longer growing season is required, as the pods need time to mature fully. So it’s best to sow early, which usually means sowing indoors, especially in colder regions. In areas that usually have warm spring weather, you can also sow outdoors, after the last frost.

Tie in any stems that come loose from the supports in windy weather. Once the plants reach the top of their supports, cut off any additional growth. This should encourage side-shoots lower down, keep the crop within reach and help to stop the plants becoming top-heavy.

Once you’ve gathered in your pods, remove the individual beans and let them dry fully before storing

Once harvesting has finished, cut plants down to the base and compost them. However, as legumes (peas, beans and related plants) fix nitrogen from the air at their roots, leave these in the ground to boost soil nitrogen levels.

These beans are easy to grow from seed, but must be kept indoors until after the last frost. If a late cold snap is forecast, cover your plants overnight with cloches or plastic-free fleece. Young plants are vulnerable to slugs and snails, and watch for black aphids on the shoot tips and under leaves. For more on spotting and tackling these and other issues, see Common problems, below.