Beans – a berry, a vegetable or a fruit: growing features

Tasty, filling beans are not only a food but also a cure for many ailments. The flat-seeded pods strengthen the body, improve metabolism, and are suitable for dietary use. Archaeologists claim that this crop was cultivated in South America as early as 5,000 years ago. References to legumes can be found in ancient Rome. Beans appeared in Europe in the 16th century, brought by Spanish sailors. And in the 18th century, a beautiful flower—the bean—appeared in the gardens of wealthy Russian nobles. Legumes began to be consumed as food later.

Features of beans

This popular crop is one of the 10 healthiest foods. But what is a bean plant? Is it a berry, a vegetable, or a fruit? What food group do beans belong to, scientifically speaking? A berry is a juicy, fleshy fruit with seeds. Beans don't qualify for this classification.

The fruit is sweet, sometimes slightly sour. If you consider beans to be edible seeds, then beans are a fruit. But the taste is different; it lacks the sugar content and tartness of fruits. The fruit grows on a tree or bush. The stem of a young bean is soft and grassy. But by late summer, it hardens near the ground, and the root branches out. It resembles a fruit plant.

For us, vegetables and garden crops include carrots, cucumbers, non-sweet fruits, and root vegetables. Beans are a legume often considered a vegetable. However, in plant science and botany, there's no definition of "vegetable." It's a word from agriculture and cooking.

In cooking, a vegetable is the edible part of a plant (tuber, stem, fruit). It does not include nuts, grains, fruits, or berries. Grains are the whole, ground grains of cereals and legumes. Cooking provides a precise definition of whether beans are vegetables or not. The legume family is a separate type of agricultural crop, just like cereals.

Benefits of beans

The nutritional value of beans is determined by their composition. Beans contain 20% vegetable protein, compared to 30% in meat. Protein is 70-80% digestible, making them an indispensable food for vegetarians. The presence of trace elements, minerals, amino acids, and vitamins provides the body with essential nutrients.

The plant is used in the treatment of various diseases. Even the Greek physician Avicenna recommended using the plant for the treatment of lung diseases. Diabetics are advised to consume bean dishes to lower blood sugar levels and boost immunity. The plant is beneficial for those with atherosclerosis and arrhythmia. Decoctions and infusions of the plant are recommended for the treatment of:

• tuberculosis;
• rheumatism;
• chronic pancreatitis;
• gastritis with low acidity;
• eczema;
• kidney diseases.

The plant has antibacterial and diuretic properties. Including beans in your diet 2-3 times a week leads to:

• normalization of salt metabolism;
• stimulation of gastric juice production;
• excess fluid, toxins, and waste are removed;
• potency increases;
• the nervous system calms down.

Regular consumption of beans reduces the formation of tartar.

Cosmetologists recommend using masks made from boiled beans, olive oil, and lemon juice. The skin on your face and hands becomes soft, and redness and irritation disappear. It's nourished and wrinkles are smoothed. This is due to the bactericidal and wound-healing properties of the beans, as well as the amino acids they contain.

Beans should not be eaten raw. They contain toxic components that are destroyed by cooking. Therefore, beans and pods must be boiled, steamed, or stewed.

There are contraindications, you cannot use:

• for gout;
• gastritis with high acidity;
• colitis, cholecystitis.

It is worth completely abandoning this beneficial crop during periods of exacerbation of the listed diseases.

Types and varieties

There are approximately 250 species of this crop, but only 20 varieties are cultivated. The species are characterized by their external characteristics:

• piece, 45-65 cm high;
• climbing bean, stem height up to 6 m;
• climbing up to 2 meters;
• decorative, twining, used to decorate walls and palisades.

Beans vary in their pods. They can be sweet (asparagus beans), grain beans (regular shelling beans), or semi-sweet beans (only the ripe beans are eaten). Asparagus beans are harvested from the unripe pods, which are then used in cooking.

In addition to green and yellow beans, varieties from Germany and Austria—Blühilda and Purple King—are also grown. The pods of these varieties are dark purple, and the fruits are beige. When cooked, the beans change color, turning green.

Shelling (grain) varieties are late-ripening. In central Russia, they don't ripen, and even the green pods aren't cooked. The pods are dense, fibrous, and tasteless. Ripe, dried pods are cooked and used in soups, as a garnish, and in salads. Popular varieties among gardeners include Ballada, Zolotistaya, Shchedraya, and Varvara.

Beans, as can be seen from the photo, are distinguished by color:

• white;
• red;
• black.

White beans are firm in texture and contain 20% protein. They are 70% digestible, free of animal fat. They are beneficial for the heart and blood vessels, lower cholesterol, and also help detoxify the body. White beans contain 120 kcal/100 g of calories.

Red buckwheat has an even lower calorie content—94 kcal/100g. It contains higher concentrations of vitamins B, C, A, PP, amino acids, and other beneficial ingredients. It has a calming effect and boosts the immune system. Hair and skin are noticeably improved, and teeth are stronger.

Black beans are used in Latin American cuisine. They have a sweet, smoky flavor and contain the highest concentration of nutrients. They are recommended for cancer prevention.

Growing bean sprouts

Many photos of beans and their descriptions can be found in the photo gallery. The bean stem is herbaceous, and the leaves are pinnate. The flowers are collected in a raceme. The fruits are in two valves, separated by septa. The taproot is branching in different directions.

Beans have specific soil and temperature requirements. Beans are heat-loving plants, so plant them after the soil warms to 12-16°C, at a depth of 8-10 cm.

Folk omens advise planting legumes when the chestnuts bloom.

To get a big harvest you need to:

• prepare the soil for planting;
• prepare seeds;
• plant, thin out;
• loosen;
• water;
• fertilize.

In addition to warmth, the plant prefers loose, airy soil and does not grow well in clayey, waterlogged soil. It can be used as a green manure crop and can be planted to fertilize the soil. The bean roots contain nodules that accumulate nitrogen from the air, enriching the soil. This creates favorable conditions for the growth of other plants.

After selecting a site, prepare the seeds for planting. To protect the beans from diseases and insects, soak the seeds in a boric acid solution (1 g per 5 liters of water) for 6 minutes before planting. To ensure rapid germination, soak the seeds in water overnight before planting. This will help prevent insects and diseases and ensure rapid germination.

The legume needs a sunny, draft-free location to grow. Plant at a depth of 6 cm, with holes spaced 15-20 cm apart. Rows should be spaced 40-50 cm apart. Plant 5 seeds per hole.

Once the seedlings emerge, there should be no more than 2-3 sprouts in any one spot. The others can be carefully pulled out and planted nearby.

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Plant care

Wait for the first shoots to emerge. Almost immediately, they are carefully hilled. The soil is loosened:

• after germination, when the plant is already 7 cm;
• 2 weeks after the first loosening;
• just before the ranks close.

Weeding is essential. Maintenance involves regular loosening, watering, and fertilizing.

Once the first leaves appear, you can feed the small stem. It's best to add superphosphate (30-40g per 1 m²). When the flower appears, the plant benefits from potassium salts. When the plant matures, add wood ash—10-15g per 1 m².

Watering is essential for a good harvest. Moisten the soil until five leaves appear. Ensure the soil is moderately moist and loose. Then stop watering and wait until the beans begin to flower. After this, the plant requires ample watering. It's best to let the water stand in a container for at least 24 hours. When watering, remember to loosen the soil. Legumes prefer soft soil.

Diseases and pests

In addition to traditional methods, there are chemical pest control options. These include the use of chemicals and biological agents. However, it is recommended to spray these agents before flowering, preferably at planting, to prevent the legume from becoming toxic to humans.

You can avoid crop loss by following the rules of disease and pest prevention:

• observe crop rotation; legumes can only be planted again after 4 years;
• store and sow only healthy fruits.

It's important to know the diseases that threaten crops. Pests that affect legumes:

1. Slugs. Weeds need to be removed and the soil loosened. It's best to collect them by hand.
2. Aphid.
3. Whitefly.
4. Sprout fly.
5. Bean weevil.

So as not to bugs have appeared To prevent the sprout fly, harvest the fruit before the pods open. After harvesting, it's best to place it in the freezer for 4 days. At -10°C, larvae, eggs, and adult pests die. Afterwards, warm the harvested fruit.

Beans are susceptible to bacteria, fungi, and viruses. This leads to the development of powdery mildew, anthracnose, white rot, and mosaic. What to do if infected:

1. Powdery mildew spreads in damp, warm weather, covering all garden plants with a white dust. When detected, affected plants are removed or burned.
2. Anthracnose covers the plant with ulcers, shrinks the beans, and causes rot. The diseased plant is removed.
3. Root rot appears on the roots as a white or pink coating. It destroys the leaves and stems.
4. White rot is a noticeable white fungus. The plant is uprooted.
5. Bacterial spot, a virus that appears on the plant as green spots, swellings, and blisters on the leaves.

To prevent plant diseases, preventative measures are essential. Clear all remaining debris from the soil to prevent fungal spores from multiplying. Dig the soil. Treat the seeds before planting.

Fungus is sensitive to copper and products containing it. Bordeaux mixture is often used. When treating plants with chemicals, avoid eating young pods to avoid poisoning. Carefully read the instructions for the product, follow the dosage, and adhere to safety precautions.

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Harvesting and storage

To preserve the beans, follow the rules for harvesting beans. The subsequent use of the harvest is also taken into account. Gardeners advise:

• If the pod is cut at the milky stage of ripeness, it is boiled and placed in the freezer;
• When stored in pods, beans are harvested with juicy, green pods.

The beans aren't all harvested at once, only the ripe ones. After 4-8 days, the second batch will dry out and be harvested again. Harvesting begins in the morning to prevent cracking, which will reduce the quality and nutritional value of the beans.

When harvesting dry grain crops:

• collected early in the morning;
• the plant is pulled out of the soil and hung under a canopy to ripen;
• cleaned after 6-17 days.

You can't pull out the entire plant; it needs to be cut back. Leave the roots in the soil to help saturate the soil with nitrogen.

Next, the beans need to be threshed and dried. Protect them from insect pests by placing them in an airtight container (a jar with a lid). Beforehand, roast the beans in the oven. Allow them to cool and place them in the jar. Place two cloves of garlic in the bottom of the jar, then seal the container. Store in a cool place. Severe frost will cause the beans to freeze, reducing germination.

By learning useful information about beans, their properties, growing methods, and storing them, you'll always have this healthy legume at home.