I'm looking to start my first garden with black beans or pinto beans, but I'm having trouble finding seeds. Is it possible to just use a bag of dried beans from the grocery store to plant? I know that technically they're the same thing, but I'm concerned if there's any specific treatment during packaging that might prevent them from sprouting.
3 Answers
I'd suggest doing a quick germination test with a few beans first, just to be sure they'll sprout. If they do, you can go ahead and plant them. Remember to leave some pods on your plants to mature at the end of the season, so you can save seeds for next year!
Pretty much any bag of dry beans from the grocery store should work for planting. Just soak them overnight before planting for better results!
You've got it! A lot of gardeners have had success planting beans from bags meant for cooking, like those 15-bean soup mixes. So, using dried beans from the store should work just fine for you.
Definitely! If you're aiming for dried beans rather than fresh, let all your harvested beans cure properly before saving some for replanting next season.