Asparagus haricot (vigna) - unripe bean beans that can be eaten fresh or after heat treatment. The plant is considered an excellent source of protein and carbohydrates. The addition of vigna to food enriches the body with trace elements. The culture can be grown in a greenhouse or in the open.
Features of growing asparagus beans in open ground
Allocate more than 50 varieties of cowpea. Almost all species can be grown on the territory of the Russian Federation. The bush grows well in loamy and light soils. The proximity of groundwater and heavy substrates should be avoided. For 1 season, a crop is harvested about 5 times from the bush.
The main feature of cowpea is that the pods are cut to full maturity. Growing a bush eliminates the use of chemicals to increase yield and shelf life. The difference between asparagus and string beans is that they eat the crop without peeling. Overripe fruits are not added to dishes, because even after heat treatment they retain hardness and dryness.
How to choose the right variety
A variety of plant varieties makes it possible to grow beans in open ground and in a greenhouse. In a cold climate zone, it is better to opt for a greenhouse, otherwise the plant will die.
The most popular varieties of wigny are considered hybrid and Chinese. Varieties of Japanese selection are more demanding in care. Beans of American origin are also in great demand. Breeders worked on varieties for a long period of time, so the fruits of the plant have excellent juiciness.
As for the varieties, gardeners give preference to bush and climbing species with fruits of different colors.
The most popular varieties of cowpea for outdoor cultivation:
- Bona. Early ripening, fruits are straight. The variety was bred by domestic breeders. The first crop can be obtained after 1.5-2.5 months after the formation of the ovaries. It all depends on the climate in the region. The bushes are small, reaching a height of 0.4 m. The pods are juicy, 0.16 m. This variety of asparagus bean has a strong immunity.
- Blue Lake. The bush is tall, 0.5 m in length and above. To care for the bush, it is necessary to put supports. The first fruits can be obtained after 1.5-2 months after the appearance of the ovaries. Pods of bright color 0.16 m long. The variety is especially appreciated in cooking.
- Sweet courage. Ripening plant, the fruits ripen in 1.5-2 months. The plant is small, about 0.4 m long. Beans of a cylindrical firm, the flesh is tender, bright yellow. The length of one pod is 0.14 m.
- Neringa. The plant brings a large number of crops, the fruits are used in cooking for preparing various dishes. The main plus of the variety is its excellent survival rate in any soil under various climatic conditions. After 2 months, the pods can be collected. They are green.
- Mascott. The small asparagus bean variety is compact. After 1.5-2 months brings the first crop. The plant is popular not only among summer residents, but also among urban residents. Beans can be grown on the windowsill and on the balcony. The pulp is dense, about 0.15 m long.
- Gold Mine. The variety has sweet juicy fruits. Grows in the form of a compact bush with strong vertical stems. For 1 harvest from the plant, you can get about 0.8 kg of pods.
- Vigna Fakir. The variety belongs to the average ripening period. Pods of green hue 0.3 m. The flesh is tender, the outer shell is rough. The plant is tall, it is necessary to establish supports. Growing in the middle lane is not recommended.
- Purple Queen. The pods are colorful, they can be seen from any edge of the site. The bush is characterized by excellent productivity, 0.6 m high. After heat treatment, the pods become a natural shade. The first crop is obtained 2 months after the formation of beans.
grade "Bona"
variety "Blue Lake"
variety "Sweet courage"
grade "Neringa"
grade "Mascott"
grade "Gold Mine"
grade "Fakir"
grade "Purple Queen"
No less popular varieties of cowpea are among summer residents: Macaretti, Countess, Red Asparagus, Yardlong and Fortex.
Choosing a place to land
Almost all varieties of cowpea are very demanding on the germination site. The amount of crop that a plant can bring depends on the right choice.
Lighting
This bean crop grows on a sunny territory, areas with lots of shade should not be chosen. It is also necessary to pay attention to the wind, or rather its absence. The culture will not burn out under the open sun - the bean leaves themselves will create the shadow that they need.
The soil
The bush grows well on fertile, breathable soil. Soil waters should not lie too deep, but the area cannot be swampy either. A sour and clay soil is considered a bad choice for planting.
You should not choose a land rich in nitrogen, the bush itself produces it. Oversaturation with this chemical element will negatively affect the development of cowpea. If the location is in the northern region, it is better to plant the plant on sandy soil. This soil warms up faster and this property will benefit the beans.
Predecessors
Asparagus beans take root well after many crops. But the best result can be shown after nightshade and cruciferous (cabbage, eggplant, tomato, etc.).
Bed preparation
Preparation of the soil for planting legumes begins in the fall season. The soil is cleaned of grass and dug. To make the soil nutritious, make it (calculation per 1 sq. M):
- 4 kg of humus;
- 1 tbsp. l nitrate;
- 1 tbsp. potassium chloride;
- 2 tbsp. dolomite flour;
- 1 tbsp. superphosphate.
In the spring season, the soil is again dug up and fluffed with a rake. If the soil is viscous, then add 5 kg of river sand per 1 square. m
Before planting, the ground is disinfected with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
Seed preparation
Planting material is processed - this is a mandatory procedure that helps to prevent the occurrence of diseases, as well as improve the germination of seeds. Processing can be done in several ways:
- Landing in moist ground. For this option, just make sure the seed is intact, free of pests. Water the soil well and plant the seeds.
- Preliminary processing. Thanks to this method, seedlings will appear faster. Soak the seeds in hot water and keep in it for about a quarter of an hour. Then disinfect the seed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
- Pre-germination. Inspect the seeds for damage or any kind of deformation. Remove trash from them. All deferred beans should be placed on wet gauze or cloth. Take another layer of material and cover them with future crops. The top layer should also be wet. In this case, the main thing is not to overdo it with moisture, otherwise the beans will rot. After a day, you can open the material and see that the seeds have formed sprouts. This means that the seed is fully ready for planting.
Annually, Vigna is planted in another area in order to avoid a disease called anthracnose.
Bean planting
All varieties are planted in the same way, so you should adhere to a certain planting algorithm.
Landing time
For regular harvesting, you need to plant several varieties at the same time, however, with a different growing season. Three types of beans are planted on one ridge: early ripening, medium and late.
At the bush of the crop of an early ripening period, the fruits can be picked up already 2 months after the formation of the beans, later varieties yield only after 3.5 months.
Landing is carried out only when the air temperature reaches +16 degrees Celsius, and there will be no night frosts. In almost all regions, this period falls on the end of April or the beginning of May. Later planting will lead to a decrease in crop yield.
The signal rapidly develops and takes root at an air temperature of +22 degrees Celsius.
If planting is carried out directly in open ground without preliminary germination, then the seed bed should not be more than 4 cm. Too deep planting will slow down the growth of seedlings.
Step-by-step landing pattern
Algorithm for planting cowpea by the method of germinated sprouts:
- Carefully inspect the planting material. Do not plant beans with stains, blackouts, or rot.
- Plant germinated sprouts in containers with soil mixture. In a 1 pot, place a couple of beans to a depth of 3 cm. Pay attention to the sprouts, they should look up.
- Sprinkle sprouts gently with soil.
- Water the seedlings from the spray gun so that the seeds do not begin to rot, but the earth does not dry out.
- After the appearance of 2 leaves, seedlings transplant into open soil.
- Feed the ground a week before planting. Perfectly saturates the soil horse manure and compost.
- Leave space between plants based on the variety of beans. For example, a plant between a bush or tall crop may be small.
- Plant seedlings in rows. Between them, leave a distance of 0.4-0.5 m.
- If you plant beans directly into the soil, then dig them 4 cm.
Care for Asparagus Beans
Vigna is not the most demanding culture, but in order to get an excellent harvest, you will have to properly and regularly care for it.
Watering
Asparagus beans need regular watering, if the owner is on the site only once a week, then to grow a bush and get a good harvest he does not work. After direct planting, the plant is watered 1 time in 2 days. As soon as the seedlings began to appear, the watering is reduced, and they are carried out as necessary. The best time for this event is evening or morning.
Watering is carried out directly under the root system, you can not pour water on the leaves. Summer residents use one light solution: 2/3 of the barrels are filled with weed, add water and leave for 7 days. Then for watering take 1 liter of the product and dilute it in 1 bucket of water.
Watering is very important for cowpea, if there is little moisture, the stems will change shape, stop growing, and the fruits will decrease in size. When 4 leaves are formed on the beans, the bush is not watered until flowering. As soon as it bloomed, watering is carried out 1 time in 2 days.
Weeding and cultivation
Other plants should not grow near beans, especially weeds. After watering, you need to weed and loosen the soil. Weeding is carried out as soon as the seedling has reached a height of 7 cm, and loosening is done after the sprout has grown by 10 cm.
Soil mulching
To make care easier, the soil around the root circle is mulched. Better to use straw. Less moisture will evaporate, and weeds will not be able to germinate through a layer of mulch.
Support
Support is needed only for the curly types of asparagus beans. The height of such installations reaches 1.5 m. From above, a wire or rope is attached to the support - branches will cling to it. As soon as the plant starts the winding arrow, it is sent to the support, during the night the arrow itself will spin. You should not use the chain-link for this purpose, because in the autumn it is very difficult to remove dry branches from it.
Escape pinch
As soon as the beans reached 0.1 m, they spud. The procedure is important, as it helps to improve the nutrition of the bush, strengthen the root system. Pinching the top is carried out when the plant reaches a height of 2 m or more. This is done so that the bush does not grow more, and sends all the energy to the formation of fruits.
Top dressing
As a fertilizer, cow manure has proven itself excellently. There are 2 options for making it:
- Combine with watering (1 part of manure to 10 parts of water).
- Spread the fertilizer on the mulch to rot it.
Chemical fertilizers begin to be applied as soon as the sprouts give the first leaves. Superphosphate (40 g per 1 sq. M) is used. During the formation of the buds, potassium salt is introduced into the ground (10 g per 1 sq. It is impossible to add nitrogen at the flowering stage and in the subsequent stages, because it stimulates and accelerates the growth of green mass and in the future beans can grow without harvest.
Bean Diseases and Pests
Pests / Diseases | Symptoms of lesion | What to do? |
Anthracnose | On cotyledons appears in the form of brown spots, in the center of which are red pads. The stalk acquires dark brown stripes. The root system rots. Yellow spots appear on the leaves and they crumble. | Spraying the plant with Bordeaux liquid (1%). |
Downy mildew | Yellow spots appear on the stems and leaves. On the underside of the foliage, a bloom of gray-violet color forms. Affected parts of the plant rot or decay. | Spraying the plant with Bordeaux liquid (1%). |
Bacteriosis | Sprouts die. Stains and damage appear on the leaves. | Destruction of infected plants, processing beans with biological products. |
Sprout fly | Grains are damaged during germination. | Processing plants with insecticides: “Fufanol”, “Tanrek”. |
Slugs and Snails | Eat the entire green mass of the plant. | Manual pest cleaning. |
Harvesting and storage
It is necessary to collect the crop on time, otherwise it will perespet and become hard. If you collect it regularly, then new ovaries will begin to form on the plant. The culture is not ripped off en masse, the pods are inspected and harvested by the most ripe.
For seed harvesting, the pods are not removed and allowed to dry on the plant. Little asparagus beans are stored (2-3 days), so if you want to keep it for the winter, freeze the crop. It is better to cut the product, put it in a bag and place in the freezer. Grains set aside for sowing are stored in the refrigerator.
Asparagus haricot (vigna) is one of the best types of bean crops. Caring for her does not exhaust the summer resident. You don’t need to do anything complicated, but you can enjoy a large and useful crop.