Adzuki Bean

What Adzuki Bean is

Adzuki Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is an annual vegetable of the Legume family (Fabaceae). The low, bushy adzuki bean plants produce long, slender pods containing many small red beans. Adzuki is wonderful cooked and mixed with rice or prepared in one of the many delicious red bean desserts.

In Chinese cuisine, for example, it is used to make many sweet creams, porridges, puddings and pastries. This is thanks to its mild, pleasantly sweet taste and aroma.

It is excellent in salads, rice dishes, bean patties, pâtés and for sprouting. It is also recommended for lowering cholesterol and triglycerides and for normalising blood pressure and blood sugar.

French beans are easy, quick and very productive — about 55–65 days pass from sowing to first harvest. Dwarf varieties need no support, while climbing ones cover fences and crop for longer.

Key features

• Measured germination rate of the batch: 92%
• Seeds per packet: 93–127 pcs (10 g)
• Seed origin: Argentina
• Sowing: April and May; direct
• Harvest: July and August
• Position: sunny spot

When to sow Adzuki Bean

Adzuki Bean seeds are sown in April and May. The crop is harvested in July and August. The months are a guide for a temperate climate — in warmer areas sow 1–2 weeks earlier, in cooler or upland areas, later.

How to sow and grow Adzuki Bean

• Sowing method: direct
• Depth: 3–4 cm
• Spacing: 8–10 cm in the row, 40–50 cm between rows (dwarf); 20–25 cm with support (climbing)
• Germination: 6–10 days at 18–25 °C
• Position: sunny spot

Sow directly at a depth of 3 cm. depth when the soil temperature reaches 15°C, ideally by early May. Plant at 5-10 cm. spacing between rows of 30 cm. between the rows. Keep the soil constantly moist, but take care not to overwater. For dry beans, pull up whole plants and leave them to mature before processing. Collect seed from plants whose pods are completely dry.

Sow directly when the soil is above 12 °C — in cold soil the seeds rot. Do not feed with nitrogen: beans supply their own. Water during flowering and pod set.

Harvest and use

Pick the pods young and crisp, every 2–3 days — this encourages the plant to set new ones.

Frequently asked questions

When should Adzuki Bean be sown?

The recommended sowing months are April and May. Sowing method: direct.

How many seeds are in the packet?

The packet contains 93–127 seeds, pack size 10 g.

What is the germination rate of the seeds?

The measured germination rate of this batch is 92%. The test was carried out under controlled laboratory conditions; in the field, emergence depends on soil, temperature and moisture.

When are beans sown?

Directly outdoors from late April to July, once the soil has warmed up. For a long harvest, sow in 2–3 batches every 3 weeks.

Do beans need to be soaked before sowing?

Not necessarily; a short soak (2–4 hours) speeds up germination, but a longer one can crack the seeds.