How to Grow Hardy Lentil Beans
March 24, 2010 – 10:01 pm by MarinaHanes
Legumes are excellent sources of protein, so if you’re eating a reduced or meat free diet, it’s definitely beneficial to start enjoying beans and incorporating them into your diet. A ½ cup of cooked lentils has 115 calories, 0.4 grams of fat, 19.9 grams of carbohydrates and a whopping 8.9 grams of protein. Lentil beans may be small, but they pack a significant amount of nutrition. By growing them in your vegetable garden, you will have a quick and easy supply of meat-free protein.
Lentil beans grow off of 18 to 24 inch tall vines. In order to have enough yield, it’s wise to plant four to eight lentils per family member. The beans will require full sun and loose, well-drained soil. It’s best that the soil has a pH between 6.0 and 6.5; however, lentils can grow in poorer soils.
Since this bean grows best in the cooler months, plant them in the spring so you can harvest them before the last average frost date. Some companion plants to lentils are potatoes, summer savory and cucumbers, but you can also place a low trellis to aid in the vines’ growth. Be sure to plant them ½ to one inch deep in the soil and leave at least one inch between the seeds. It’s also important to keep the lentils evenly moist until the pods start to dry out.
So what can you make with lentils? Well, you can create lentil soups for the colder months as well as lentil loafs. During the summer, you can create fresh lentil and rice dishes with lemon. If you prefer spicy foods, try curried or Indian style lentils. Beans are not only great sources of protein, but they can be conveniently added to various types of dishes, which makes cooking less complicated.
