Psophocarpus tetragonolobus
The primary time I encountered winged beans, I used to be on a household journey to Hawaii and we’d walked previous a market stall stuffed with greens and fruits.
As I pursued the hampers stuffed with rambutan, starfruit, lychee, and dragon fruit, I encountered a number of the strangest beans I’d ever seen.
At first I didn’t even notice they had been beans, with their odd ruffled edges making them virtually appear to be some sort of large caterpillar.
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Winged beans (Psyphocarpus tetragonolobus) are tropical, perennial legumes. All components of the plant are edible, from the tuberous roots to the flowers.
The winged beans are notable for his or her distinctive form – 4 longitudinal ridges or “wings” run alongside the pods, with ruffled edges.
In the event you dwell in USDA Rising Zones 10 to 12, you may develop winged beans as perennials. In any other case, plan to develop them as annuals.
Whether or not you’re new to winged beans otherwise you’re fortunate sufficient to have grown up with these leguminous wonders, this information will cowl the right way to domesticate them in your individual backyard.
Right here’s what’s forward:
P. tetragonolobus is native to Papua New Guinea and broadly cultivated in tropical areas of Southeast Asia.
They’re often known as goa beans, four-angled beans, dragon beans, or shikaku mame in Japan.
P. tetragonolobus is typically confused with the asparagus pea aka winged pea, Tetragonolobus purpureus – however this species has crimson as a substitute of blue flowers, and solely the cooked pods could be consumed.
These vining crops produce quite a lot of meals in a small footprint, rising as much as 15 ft lengthy and about two to a few ft vast.
These grown as annuals are unlikely to realize these dimensions throughout one rising season.
The winged bean plant as an entire packs fairly the dietary punch.
The underground tubers resemble potatoes and include 20 p.c protein by weight. The seeds have 35 p.c protein and are full of carbohydrates, nutritional vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, C, A, and E.
Previous to the pods forming, pale blue flowers develop within the spring. These edible flowers make a tasty addition to salads.
Fast Look
Frequent identify(s): Winged beans; dragon, goa, four-angled beans; shikaku mame
Plant sort: Perennial vine
Hardiness (USDA Zone): 10-12 (perennials)
Native to: Asia
Bloom time / season: Spring, summer time
Publicity: Full solar
Soil sort: Free, humus-rich, properly draining
Soil pH: 6.0-7.5, barely acidic to impartial
Time to maturity: As much as 180 days
Spacing: 3 ft
Planting depth: 1 inch (seeds)
Mature dimension: 2-3 ft vast x as much as 15 ft excessive
Water Wants: Average
Taxonomy
Order: Fabales
Household: Fabaceae
Genus: Psophocarpus
Species: Tetragonolobus
After the flowers open, they’re pollinated by bees, butterflies, and flies, and the pods begin to type.
It solely takes about three weeks for the winged bean pods to succeed in their final size of as much as a foot after which a number of extra weeks to be prepared for harvesting.
The species is day-length delicate and should have longer days than nights for not less than every week or two earlier than they’ll flower.
I dwell close to the forty fifth parallel and which means the times are lengthy sufficient round mid-March, however it’s too chilly at the moment for the crops to be outdoors.
You could find winged bean cultivars which can be day-length impartial or short-day if day size is a matter for you.
The curious-looking pods begin out inexperienced however as they mature they are often inexperienced, cream, pink, or purple with cream, inexperienced, white, tan, or brown beans inside.
The leaves are sometimes inexperienced, however they will even have some purple shading, and these could be ready a bit like spinach.
We don’t know the place wild winged beans originated. The progenitor has been misplaced to time and could also be extinct. It’s attainable that this species is a results of crossbreeding totally different wild legumes.
Sow
As a result of these crops want such a protracted rising season – as much as 180 days for mature seeds – many gardeners choose to start out seeds indoors after which transfer them out as quickly because the climate warms up.
You can too purchase nursery begins, although they’re onerous to search out in cooler areas.
Immature, inexperienced pods are sometimes prepared between 75 and 110 days from planting.
For a lot of gardeners, myself included, we are going to solely have sufficient time for the pods to mature and never the seeds, however that’s high-quality! You’ll nonetheless have a number of pods, leaves, flowers, and stems to eat.
From Seed
You can begin your seeds 12 weeks forward of transplanting. You’ll want to determine when soil temperatures will probably be persistently above 60°F, as you may’t transplant earlier than that.
- Soak the seeds for twenty-four hours after which gently nick them with a knife earlier than sowing.
- Fill four-inch containers with well-draining seed beginning medium and moisten it.
- Sow seeds an inch deep, one in every container.
- Set the pots on a heating mat, to maintain the soil persistently between 75 and 85°F.
- Hold the soil evenly moist however not waterlogged.
- After germination, transfer the rising pots into an space the place the seedlings will obtain not less than six hours of direct daylight per day or present supplemental lighting.
- When the seedlings are about six to eight inches tall, pinch the rising tricks to encourage bushier progress and strong root improvement.
Plan to transplant when soil temperatures are reliably over 60°F and be sure you harden them off first.
Transplanting
To place seedlings into the bottom, step one is to work the soil somewhat to loosen it up. Amend with some well-rotted compost to about six inches deep.
Then dig a gap the scale of the container the transplant is at the moment rising in.
Take away the plant from its pot, set it within the gap and backfill with soil.
Agency the soil up across the base of the plant and water the soil properly. If the soil settles, add a bit extra.
House the crops about three ft aside however inside six inches of a assist construction.
Develop
A part of what makes these crops so unbelievable is that they’re tremendous adaptable.
Gentle
Like many legumes, these tropical vines choose a full solar location, with six or extra hours of direct sunshine per day.
In the event you dwell in a extremely popular area, you may give younger crops a little bit of shade from robust afternoon solar, however as soon as established they are going to be high-quality.
Soil
Winged beans are fairly blissful in common soils, offered it’s well-draining.
They’ll’t deal with waterlogged, heavy clay, with standing water so in case your backyard is predominantly clay, contemplate rising in a raised mattress.
In any other case, you may work in some compost to the bottom earlier than planting to extend water retention and enhance drainage.
Temperature
These tropical crops prefer it sizzling! The best rising temperature is round 75°F and above, so that you don’t need to plant too early.
If temperatures drop under about 58°F, progress stops utterly.
If you want to be sure the temperatures are heat sufficient, you may develop them in opposition to a south-facing brick wall as a result of the brick will assist to offer extra warmth.
Water
Hold the soil persistently moist whereas the vines have gotten established and after they flower, enable the highest one or two inches to dry out between waterings.
When they’re established, winged beans are drought-tolerant.
Weeding
The vines could be gradual to start out, so you want to be on weed patrol. It’s simple for weeds to overhaul the younger seedlings.
Because the temperatures warmth up, the vines develop extra shortly and may outcompete weeds.
I prefer to put an inch or two of straw mulch or leaf litter throughout the crops to assist retain water and preserve weeds away.
Help
The crops should have one thing to climb up.
You can tie a string to horizontal poles, use cattle fencing, purchase bean trellises, or anything that may assist the vines as they develop.
Fertilizing
Feed your crops with a balanced meals with an NPK round 10-10-10 or 12-12-12.
Higher but, check your soil earlier than feeding after which feed your soil in keeping with the outcomes of the soil check.
I like to make use of Southern Ag’s all function granular fertilizer, which has an NPK ratio of 10-10-10. Feed when the plant begins to flower and once more one month later.
Southern Ag All Goal Granular Fertilizer
You could find Southern Ag All Goal Granular Fertilizer obtainable through Amazon.
Pruning
The vines seize onto issues by twining, in order that they’ll spin their approach up something they will attain.
You’ll discover them twirling their approach up fence poles, or twisting up close by timber or shrubs. They’ll even twine their approach up different crops in your backyard like tomatoes or corn stalks.
Prune any vines rising the place you don’t need them.
If the plant turns into too bushy on high, it will possibly shade the inside and decrease vines they usually received’t produce flowers and pods.
Prune out a number of the vines if the plant ought to be flowering however isn’t. Or take away vines if the entire thing is turning into unruly.
You possibly can take off quite a lot of the foliage and the plant will probably be high-quality. Don’t be delicate about this, simply get in there with some pruners and go to city.
Cultivars to Choose
Principally you’ll simply discover generic winged bean seeds on the market, although there are a selection of cultivars obtainable.
If you want to develop the species plant, discover seeds obtainable in a wide range of packet sizes at True Leaf Market.
Winged Beans
If daytime are a limiting issue for you, you’ll need to hunt down one of many cultivars that aren’t daylight dependent.
All the following are worthwhile choices:
Native Inexperienced
‘Native Inexperienced’ is a short-day cultivar, which has made it common as a winter season crop in locations like Guam.
It can flower and produce when the times are shorter than 12 hours. The ensuing crops are strong and high-yielding.
Singha
‘Singha’ is an early flowering cultivar that’s day-neutral. Which means an early harvest no matter what the daytime are doing in your area.
Urizan Japanese
That is my favourite cultivar as a result of it’s dependable and matures early, although it would simply be as a result of it’s the one cultivar obtainable in my area.
I obtained my seeds from a buddy, however you will discover this heirloom day-neutral cultivar at a number of uncommon seed or plant retailers.
Pests and Illness
For the reason that complete plant is edible, it’s interesting to herbivores like deer and rabbits. Insect infestations widespread within the veggie backyard can even assault winged beans.
Listed below are the principle pests and illnesses to have an effect on these crops:
Pests
As with most greens, aphids could be a problem. Particularly, the black bean aphid (Aphis craccivora) can’t get sufficient of winged beans.
Normally, an infestation isn’t a giant deal until the plant is extraordinarily younger.
Study extra about coping with aphids right here.
In tropical areas, the winged bean blotch miner (Leucoptera sophocarpella), bean pod borer, (Maruca vitrata), and cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera Mylabris afzelii, and M. pustulat) can injury the foliage and flowers.
In the event you’re rising in North America, it’s solely the second two you want to fear about.
Root-knot nematodes also can infect the crops, particularly Meloidogyne arenaria, M. incognita, and M. javanica. Study extra about these microscopic pests right here.
Illness
Winged beans are usually vigorous crops and it’s not typically you’ll need to cope with a illness.
Particularly when you preserve them properly spaced and pruned in the event that they begin to turn out to be overgrown.
Collar Rot
Collar rot is a illness attributable to quite a few fungi, together with species within the Fusarium, Rhizoctonia, and Macrophomina genera. An infection causes rot on the base of the plant, finally killing all of the vines.
If this rot extends by the bottom, turning it mushy and black, it is going to kill the entire vines.
When the illness is current, it’s onerous to manage, however you may be capable to cease it by making use of a robust biofungicide that accommodates hydrogen peroxide or Bacillus subtilis.
CEASE Biofungicide
Arbico Organics carries an efficient product referred to as Stop, which accommodates the helpful bacterium B. subtilis.
It’s greatest as a preventative however it will possibly gradual or cease the development of the illness.
False Rust
False rust or orange gall is widespread in crops grown in tropical areas, however it has solely been recognized as transferring into subtropical areas as of 2024.
In the event you’re rising outdoors of a tropical area, you most likely don’t have to even take into consideration this drawback.
This illness is attributable to the fungus Synchytrium psophocarpi and reveals up as orange pustules on leaves, stems, pods, and flowers.
It may possibly additionally trigger leaf distortion and a discount in pod dimension and high quality.
The second you see any pustules forming, which begin out inexperienced earlier than turning into orange, begin treating with a broad-spectrum fungicide like mancozeb.
Bonide Mancozeb Flowable with Zinc
Seize a 16-ounce bottle of Bonide Mancozeb Flowable with Zinc at Amazon and apply in keeping with the producer’s instructions.
In the event you dwell in a subtropical area, report the an infection to your native extension workplace to allow them to doc its presence.
Powdery Mildew
Powdery mildew (attributable to the fungus Erysiphe cichoracearum) is quite common within the vegetable backyard.
It causes white powdery coating on the leaves. Our information to powdery mildew has extra particulars.
Harvesting
Because the vines develop, be happy to pluck off leaves right here and there to make use of as you’d spinach.
If you wish to eat the pods slightly than the beans, wait till they attain their full size, which ought to occur a number of weeks after flowering, and snip them off the vine.
You probably have a protracted sufficient rising season, you may let the pods mature on the vine. They are going to flip brown and finally break up.
At that time, you may take away the seeds and dry or prepare dinner them contemporary.
The tubers want a number of years to turn out to be massive sufficient to reap, so solely these rising these crops as perennials will get to take pleasure in them!
Preserving
The leaves, immature pods, and flowers ought to be eaten inside a number of days of harvesting.
Freshly harvested pods will preserve for as much as every week wrapped in a cotton or paper towel in a plastic bag within the fridge.
The seeds or beans can be dried by inserting them in a single layer on a baking tray or display and permitting them to take a seat till they turn out to be dry and brittle.
Rotate or stir the beans day-after-day to make sure even drying. You can too dry them in a dehydrator on a low setting.
As soon as they’re dry, you may put them in a fabric bag and retailer them in a cool, dry place.
Cooking Concepts
Use the flowers contemporary to high salads and as garnishes. The leaves are additionally good in salads, or strive them on sandwiches or on pasta.
The stems could be eaten uncooked, however chop them up and saute them with some butter, garlic, and salt for an actual deal with.
You possibly can eat the tubers both uncooked or cooked. In the event you eat them uncooked, slice thinly for salads, or use them like potatoes when you resolve to prepare dinner them.
The pods can be utilized similar to any edible pod bean. They’re a traditional choice in stir fries, in fact. You possibly can saute them in garlic, butter, and crimson pepper flakes.
Yum tua pu is a tasty Thai salad made with roasted peanuts, coconut flakes, shallots, mint, and boiled eggs with a spicy Thai dressing. It’s phenomenal.
You possibly can eat the pods after they’re immature or allow them to mature a bit, although to not the purpose the place the beans inside are plump and begin to harden.
The seeds or beans should be cooked earlier than consuming. You possibly can roast them, dry and grind them up into flour, flip them into milk, or extract the oil.
Talking of, the oil extracted from winged beans is even higher than soybean oil as a result of it’s extra thermally secure and is excessive in antioxidants.
This Bean Has Wings
Winged beans are a wonderful selection for gardeners in tropical or subtropical climates. They’re a bit extra of a problem to domesticate in additional northern areas, however it may be executed.
It’s uncommon that you simply discover a plant that may present edible flowers, leafy greens, pods, beans, and tubers. P. tetragonolobus has all of it.
Are you rising winged beans? I can’t wait to listen to the way you’re going to make use of your harvest. Tell us within the feedback part under!
And for extra details about rising beans in your backyard, learn these guides subsequent: