When Your Green Beans Don’t Sprout, Plant Pinto Beans!
We were late getting our green beans in the ground this year. Between our tiller breaking down and the never-ending rain, we finally got them planted not long before we left town for a little getaway. When we came home, we discovered they had germinated very poorly. By then, it was too late in the season to order seeds online and wait for them to arrive, and the seed racks at the hardware store were picked clean.
So what do you do when your green beans don’t sprout? You head to the pantry, grab a bag of pinto beans, and get to planting!
A Simple Backup Plan from the Pantry
Pinto beans may not seem like the obvious choice for green beans, but they absolutely work—especially when you’re in a pinch. In fact, it’s all my grandparents ever planted, and they grew bucket loads of delicious green beans. So if you need a quick backup, pinto beans just might save the day for you.
Tips for Planting Pinto Beans for Green Beans
- Be sure to use beans that are lighter in color. Darker beans are usually older and may not germinate as well.
- Plan for a Trellis. Pintos create vines that can reach 6–8 feet long.
- Harvest Often. Pinto beans are very prolific, but they can become tough and stringy if left on the vine too long. Pick the pods while they’re still young and tender.
A Little Memory from Grandpa’s Garden
I can remember, as a little girl, I would only eat “green beans from Grandpa’s garden.” Little did I know, once the jars of green beans my grandma had canned were gone, they would dress up a store-bought can of green beans and tell me they were Grandpa’s. Oh, the trickery!
When Gardening Doesn’t Go as Planned
Sometimes the best garden solutions are already sitting in your pantry. If you’ve ever planted pintos for homegrown green beans, or if you decide to give them a try, I’d love to hear how they work for you.
Happy gardening!
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Thanks for this post. I had no idea you could substitute pinto beans for green beans.
You’re welcome! Yep..and you can do the same with peas as well. 🙂
I’ve had beans fail but I never thought about heading to the pantry to grab pinto beans. Thanks for posting!
You’re welcome!
This reminded me so much of the way my gran approached problems in the kitchen and garden. She had an attitude of “use what you have and make it work.” Thank you for sharing this!
Absolutely! You’re welcome. 🙂
Love this idea! I have never heard of doing this but would love to try! Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome! You can do the same with dry peas. I have planted grocery store black eyed peas many times. 🙂
Last year, our beans did not sprout; it was disappointing, but I took it as a learning curve, as I am fairly new to vegetable gardening. I love fresh beans for the season. I have never heard of this before. Very interesting!
It happens sometimes. The beans we planted this year were a couple of years old but I really expected them to germinate better than they did. Luckily, I always have pintos in the pantry. Good luck!