Last Updated on April 11, 2024 by Real Men Sow
Growing Guar beans come in a variety of colors, from black and brown to pinks and white. You can eat them at once you toast them to kill the trypsin inhibitor. These beans produce large quantities of upright beans quickly.
Guar beans are a valuable food source for areas without the necessary resources to cultivate large quantities. They are nutritious, bushy plants that grow quickly and thrive in hot environments.
Guide to Growing Guar Beans at Home
Guar beans are easy to grow and plant in most areas. They can withstand heat and drought, but they are not able to withstand frost. Guar bean plants need to be in frost-free areas for at least 90 days before they can harvest mature crops.
They thrive in warm climates and are most at home in humid areas. You can grow them as ornamental plants or as food for the immature pods. The mature pods are useful for making guar-gum and can also be used as a feed source for livestock.
Growing Guar Beans at Home – Seed Starting
Plant them in soil where they can stay there until harvest. Transplanting is not advisable as the plant has a very long taproot. Gardeners should wait until the danger of frost has passed before starting guar cluster beans seeds. Don’t soak the seeds before planting because they can split and pathogens can grow.
How to Plant Guar Bean Seeds
Once the soil is warm, guar bean seeds will germinate quickly. To allow the guar beans root to develop quickly, plant guar beans seeds approximately one-inch deep in well-loosened dirt. Place the seeds six inches apart, in rows of 24 inches. To support the growing Guar Bean Plant, you can use a pole.
Soil Conditions for Ideal Growth
Guar beans can grow in all soil types, but they prefer temperatures over 65 degrees. Plants prefer soil that is slightly acidic, loose, well-drained, and made with organic compost. The soil doesn’t need to be fertilized. You may also grow them in sandy and loamy soils.
Guar bean seedlings are slow to grow and more susceptible to being overrun with weeds. To make it easier to remove weeds and drain the soil, you can create a ridge or mound in rows.
Light Conditions For Growing Guar Beans in Your Garden
For guar beans to grow at reasonable rates, light is crucial. Plant the seeds in full sun. Guar beans are tolerant of heat and drought, but they can’t withstand frost. Even in cool and shaded areas, seed pod growth can be affected.
Watering Efficiency
Guar beans are drought-tolerant, but they do require water. Overwatering Guar Bean plants can reduce seedpod production and affect quality.
Guar bean plants that are underwatered will not only encourage growth but also reduce their production. It’s best to water them slowly, either at the roots once a week or when the soil has dried out completely.
Container Growing Guar Beans in your Home
Cluster beans are a great container plant choice. This plant is a good choice for containers as it has an upright growth habit and rarely grows more than six feet. To allow root growth, you should choose a container at least 18 inches in depth. Guar beans do not thrive in moist soil so make sure the container drains well.
When to Harvest
The average time it takes to harvest a guar bean plant is between 60 and 90 calendar days. To develop, the plants need to be exposed to sunlight and warm temperatures. The flowers grow in groups of different colors, including blue, pink and shades of yellow. Once they mature, the seed pods are formed. When they reach two to four inches in height, are bright green and have a slimy texture, the immature pods can be harvested. These pods are used in Indian curries and other recipes.
For mature guar beans, you should allow the pods time to develop on your plant. After the pod has dried, remove it. You’ll find a string inside the shell of many legume varieties. This string will allow you to pull the pod open. Each pod contains around ten seeds. To make mature seeds more digestible and palatable, they should be toast before being used.
Proper Storage
The best way to preserve guar beans pods is to store them in the fridge’s crisper drawer. You can cook fresh guar beans pods quickly. Guar beans can quickly rot if they are kept in plastic bags. The bean should be thrown away if it has darkened spots or softens.
The seed pods can be frozen to preserve guar beans longer. To stop the cooking process, blanch the green cluster beans in boiling salted water for a few moments before placing them in an ice bath. The frozen guar beans can be stored in the freezer for up to six months.
Pests Impact
Guar bean plants in the US are most commonly affected by leafhoppers and guarmidge. The guar midge is a growing problem in the American Southwest where commercial guar beans are grown. Guar midge larvae feed on the pods and lay eggs in the blossoms of guar beans. These insects can destroy up 30% of crops.
Larger crops of guar beans plants are at risk from leafhoppers, especially the small green one. These insects sucking sap from guar beans plants can cause plant death and discoloration. Infestations can quickly decimate large quantities of bean crops.
You may spray it with water to reduce the population of guar midges. To reduce midge population, it is important to inspect guar bean crops. The introduction of beneficial predatory insects such as ladybugs or lacewing can be a way to reduce leafhopper populations. You can also use diatomaceous earth to control pests in your guar beans plants.
Common Diseases
Alternaria leaf spots disease and bacterial plague, among other lesser-known problems. Guar bean plants can become infected and must be removed to stop the spread of disease.
Leaf spot diseases are often caused by a fungus that is frequently transmitted via seeds. Leaf spot diseases can appear as a ring around the leaves or as a target. These spots eventually die off. Bacterial disease looks like the leaves are dying at the tips. It can spread to other parts of the plant and eventually kill it.
High-quality seeds purchased from reputable seed companies or garden centers are the best way to prevent diseases in your guar beans crop. Many varieties of guar beans are resistant to diseases and leaf spots.
