Borlotti beans are an impressive plant with their pink and white speckled pods. They also impress with a particularly aromatic taste. That's why Borlotti beans are increasingly being grown privately. Find out below how to successfully sow Borlotti beans.
How can I grow Borlotti beans?
To grow Borlotti beans successfully, choose a sunny location, use loose and slightly acidic soil and plant the beans at a suitable distance. Runner beans require climbing aid, while bush beans should be piled up.
The characteristics of Borlotti beans
Borlotti beans, as the name suggests, come from Italy. Their pods are speckled pink and white and their seeds are also speckled or streaked with red or brown. There are different varieties of these bean varieties that differ in their harvest time and growth style. Borlotti beans are available as both pole and bush beans:
- Lingua di Fuoco: early ripe French bean, seeds with red speckles
- Lamon: runner bean, pink-brown speckled bean seeds
The Borlotto bean also has a convincing taste: the beans are usually harvested when they are ripe and then have a creamy, nutty taste.
Growing borlotti beans in the garden
Choose the right location
Borlotti beans, like all bean varieties, prefer sunny, wind-protected locations. The soil should be loose and not too nutrient-rich, as beans are poor feeders. The pH value should be between 5.5 and 7. If your Borlotti variety is a runner bean, you will need to provide climbing aid. You can find ideas for self-made climbing aids here.
Prefer the beans
If you are an impatient gardener or just want to be on the safe side, it is advisable to grow the beans at home. This way you can harvest sooner and ensure that all seeds sprout. How to prefer the beans:
- Place the seeds in water overnight.
- The next day, put them in freshly filled seed pots about 1 to a maximum of 3 cm deep into the soil.
- Covering the pots with cling film and a rubber band ensures more moisture and warmth and faster germination. But make sure that the soil doesn't start to mold!
- After the Ice Saints you can plant out your young bean plants.
Planting Borlotti beans
The ideal planting distance varies depending on the bean variety. Bush beans are planted at a distance of 15 to 30cm, pole beans need a little more space at 30 to 50cm. Runner beans are often planted in a circle around a pyramid-shaped climbing aid. Bush beans should be piled up when the plants are about 15 to 25cm high. Here you will find out how it works and why it is good for the plants.
