Dry/Shell Bean
vegetable
Harvested dry — leave pods on plant until fully dried and papery. Shell beans can also be harvested fresh (as 'shell beans') before fully drying. Fixes nitrogen like all beans. Includes pinto, kidney, black bean, and navy bean types.
At a glance
- USDA Zones
- 3–10
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hrs)
- Water
- Medium — water when top inch of soil is dry
- Soil
- Loam
- pH
- Neutral
- Spacing
- 4 in. between plants
- Per square foot
- 9 plants per square
- Days to maturity
- About 90 days
Planting & harvest windows
Northern Hemisphere timing. Adjust ±4–6 weeks based on your last/first frost dates.
| Activity | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant | ||||||||||||
| Harvest |
Plant Harvest
Good companions
Keep apart from
Recommended varieties
- Pinto90 daysseed
Classic speckled tan-and-brown bean for chili and refried beans. America's most popular dry bean.
- Black Turtle85 daysseed
Glossy black bean used in Cuban and Latin dishes. Very productive on compact bush plants.
- Navy / Great Northern85 daysseed
Small white bean for soups, baked beans, and cassoulet.
- Kidney (Red)95 daysseed
Large dark red bean classic in chili. High yield on bush plants.
- Jacob's Cattle90 daysseed
Beautiful heirloom red-and-white speckled bean with rich, earthy flavor.
Add Dry/Shell Bean to your raised bed — the planner handles spacing and companion warnings automatically.
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