Bean '1500 Year Old Cave'

Product Information

Few heirloom vegetables capture the imagination quite like the 1500 Year Old Cave Bean. According to gardening folklore, this remarkable climbing bean was discovered in a sealed cave in the American Southwest, where the dried beans were thought to have been preserved for centuries in the cool, dry conditions.

Beyond its intriguing story, this is a vigorous and highly productive heirloom that produces generous crops of pods throughout summer. Harvest them young as tender green beans or allow them to mature into dried beans for soups and storage. Easy to grow on a trellis in full sun, it's a rewarding variety for gardeners who appreciate productive heirlooms with a fascinating history.

Fast growing tender annuals, beans perform best in warm, sunny positions. Shallow rooted vegetables, beans require regular watering. Their ideal soil will be enriched with organic matter, be neutral to alkaline and also have some potassium applied prior to sowing. Climbing and pole beans require support, while bush beans are self-supporting. Sow seed direct when soil temperature is between 16-29 degrees C and there is no likelihood of frost. Seed should germinate within 6-15 days and seedlings should be protected from snails and slugs. Water regularly and when plants start cropping, pick daily to maximise your harvest. At the end of the season, compost plants to add nitrogen back into your soil.