Botanical Name: Vigna sesquipedalis
Days to Maturity: 80 days
Family: Fabaceae
Native: Africa
Hardiness: Frost-sensitive annual
Plant Dimensions: 6'–8' vines
Variety Information: Yard Long bean is so named because the long, slender pods can reach almost a yard in length, though they are best at 12"–18" long, before seeds start to enlarge. Long, slender, round, stringless pods hang in pairs. Commonly called a bean because it is grown and eaten like snap beans, Yard Long beans are of a different species and actually more closely related to Southern cowpea or black-eyed pea as well as mung beans. Beautiful purple flowers open in the morning beginning in midsummer.
Type: Yard Long
Attributes: Heat Tolerant
When to Sow Outside: RECOMMENDED. 1 to 2 weeks after your average last frost date, and when soil temperature is at least 65°F, ideally 70°–85°F. Successive Sowings: Every 7 to 14 days up to 80 days before your average first fall frost date. NOTE: In very hot summer areas, skip sowing as high heat approaches; temperatures consistently above 90°F will prevent beans from forming.
When to Start Inside: Not recommended; bean seedlings are sensitive to root disturbance.
Days to Emerge: 6–12 days
Seed Depth: 1"
Seed Spacing: 1 seed every 6"
Row Spacing: 36"
Thinning: Not required
Harvesting: Yard long beans are ready to pick when the pod snaps or breaks in half cleanly. This is when seeds have just begun to form and the pods are several inches long (depending on the variety). Hold stem with one hand and the pod with the other hand to avoid pulling off branches, which will continue to produce. Harvesting early and often will stimulate flower production for more beans. At seasonÆs end, plants are great compost material if they are disease-free.
