Learn how to grow adzuki beans using this short guide on growing adzuki beans. Adzuki beans (Vigna angularis var. Angularis) are also called azuki.
They are small, red – brown grain having a mildly sweet taste with a hint of hazelnut. Adzuki beans are grown in the East Asia as well as in Australia and America.
USDA Zones— 4 – 11
Diffculty— Easy
Soil Type — Neutral
Propagation
This plant grows easily from seed and has many varieties. Choose a variety according to your zone and growing conditions.
Planting
Wait until the last frost expected is over. Soil temperature must exceed 60 F before sowing and planting adzuki beans.
You can plant adzuki beans in tropics only when temperature remains below 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 C). Optimum temperature of growing adzuki beans falls in range of 60 – 90 F (15 – 32 C), similar to soybeans.
Sow adzuki seeds in your garden to a depth of 1 1/2 inch. Space the seeds 4 inches apart, and make the rows 18 – 36 inches apart to each other.
Growing condition
Make sure you are in the USDA Zone 4 or above. Ideal temperature for growing adzuki beans is between 60 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Basically adzuki beans growing and care is like soybeans.
Also Read: How to Grow Soybeans
Requirements for Growing Adzuki Beans
Soil
Adzuki beans plant is grown in neutral soil that is well drained and loose and rich in organic matter.
Sun
Growing adzuki beans require full sun. Planting should be done in sunny spot of garden.
Watering
Keep the soil evenly moist, but keep the foliage as dry as possible.
Adzuki Beans Care
Fertilizer
Fertilize adzuki beans with garden compost. Avoid nitrogen rich fertilizers as you do with other legumes, also this will encourage the production of foliage rather than the production of pods.
Mulching
Adzuki beans germinate slowly and that encourage weeds to emerge and thrive in adzuki field. It is better to weed regularly to remove unwanted plants. Also do mulching to reduce the growth of weeds.
Crop Rotation
Rotate azuki beans plants every three years to avoid depletion of soil nutrients.
Harvesting
Harvest adzuki beans in about 60 days, if you want to eat them as green beans. If you want to harvest dried, leave the pods on the plant to dry out. They will take 30 – 60 days more. Seed pod production falters when temperature exceeds 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
Properties and benefits
If you’re growing adzuki beans you should know some benefits of them:
Adzuki beans have 336 calories per 100 grams. These nutrient-rich seeds contain up to 65 percent carbohydrates, 22 percent protein and 0.3 percent fat.
Adzuki beans are considered excellent therapeutic agent for kidney ailments, because they strengthen the functioning of kidney and adrenal gland. Their consumption also detoxify the body and reduce swelling.
Adzuki beans contains a lot of high quality protein and almost all amino acids, except tryptophan. They can be a meat substitute for vegetarians.
Adzuki beans are rich in iron, they are anti-anemic and increase vigor. They also provide required calcium and aid weight loss.
Uses
Dried seeds and green beans are used in vegetables, salads, soups and flour.
In Oriental cuisines, azuki beans are boiled in water and sugar to produce a food known as “red bean paste”.
