How to Grow Kidney Beans in 8 Steps

Common kidney beans—also known as red kidney beans—are large, kidney-shaped legumes that grow on bean bushes or poles from the common snap bean plant Phaseolus vulgaris. When they are cooked, kidney beans taste slightly sweet with a tender and grainy texture. Kidney beans contain nutrients like folate, magnesium, potassium, protein, and fiber. They are often used in chili, dips, as well as Indian, Middle Eastern, Central American, and Caribbean cuisines.

You can grow kidney beans at home in your own garden, either in the ground or in a planter. Sprouting occurs in ten to fourteen days, and the beans are ready to harvest within about 100 to 140 days. When they are harvested, kidney beans must be dried out because of their high levels of phytohemagglutinin, which can cause white blood cells to clump. Kidney beans cannot be eaten raw and should be boiled for at least 30 minutes before consumption.

Kidney beans are planted at the very beginning of spring—after the last frost of winter has passed—as they grow best in warm temperatures. When you start growing your beans, the air temperature should be around 65 degrees Fahrenheit, and the soil temperature should be at least 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Kidney beans can be grown in a bush or on a pole. Bush beans grow without support in a compact space, either in the ground or in a container. Pole beans require support—like a stake or a trellis—and do best when they’re spaced out in the soil. Pole beans typically yield more beans during a growing season but take longer to be ready to harvest—usually between 10 and 15 days longer than bush beans. Bush variety beans generate all of their produce over a relatively short time period, usually within one to two weeks, after which the plant will cease to produce. For a guide on how to grow kidney bean plants at home, see the steps below.

1. 1. Buy your seeds. Purchase kidney bean seeds to plant in the ground. Rather than transplanting the plants, you want to grow them from seedlings. Bush beans and pole beans sprout from the same kinds of seeds.
2. 2. Choose a sunny spot in your garden. Pick a spot in your garden that gets plenty of direct sunlight, unobstructed by other plants or shaded areas. Kidney beans will need at least six hours of full sun a day for proper growth.
3. 3. Prepare your soil. You want to have loose, well-draining soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0 because the beans don’t respond well to high levels of moisture. Kidney beans generate their own nitrogen, so you won’t need to use mulch.
4. 4. Choose your support. Two common methods of growing kidney beans are in a planter or in the ground. If you’re planting your seeds in the ground, you may want to use a trellis or pole to support your plant as it grows vertically. If you’re not planting in your garden, you can use a planter to cultivate a small bean bush.
5. 5. Dig your holes. If you’re planting pole beans, create a series of one-to-two-inch deep holes, spacing them about four to six inches apart. If you’re planting bush beans, plant your seeds at least six inches apart, also at a depth of one-to-two-inches. If you’re cultivating a small bush in a planter, dig a single one-to-two inch hole in the middle of your planter.
6. 6. Direct sow your seeds. Like green beans and black beans, kidney beans have shallow roots, so it’s best to sow them directly into your soil rather than starting them in containers and transplanting them later.
7. 7. Water your bean seeds. Water your bean seeds whenever the soil around your plant appears dry. Overwatering can lead your seeds to rot. If you’re planting bush beans, water the seed immediately after you plant it. The germination process should begin in about 10 to 14 days.
8. 8. Protect your beans. Protect your bean plants from weeds by pulling them out by hand. You can also surround the plant with a small circle of mulch to protect weeds from growing into it. Check for pests like aphids, slugs, and leafhoppers often, and use organic fungicides if faced with powdery mildew or bean rust.

Kidney beans are usually ready to harvest by the end of spring, around 100 to 140 days after planting. Mature bean pods will be straw-colored, feel dry on the outside, and hard on the inside. You can gently bite on a kidney bean pod to see if it is ripe (ripened beans will be too hard to bite through), but be careful not to ingest it, as raw kidney beans may be toxic.

To harvest your beans, pull the entire bean plant out of the soil and hang it upside down in a dark, dry, and warm spot for a few days (or in some cases weeks) to cure the beans. Once they’ve hardened completely, pluck the pods from your bean plant and harvest the seeds inside. Seal unused beans in an airtight container to store them for a longer period of time.

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