How To Grow Mung Beans

Many people know mung beans well, although they may not realize that mung beans are the familiar beans that make up bean sprouts (used in Asian recipes and in salads). Instead of growing mung beans as sprouts, you can also plant them in the garden and grow mung beans in the soil. Plant mung beans in the spring when the soil is warm and they will be ready for harvest in just over three months.

Step 1

Prepare the planting area in the spring after the last threat of frost passes. Cultivate the soil with the garden spade down to a depth of at least 6 inches. Sprinkle 2 inches of compost over the top of the soil and work the compost in well with the garden spade. Rake the soil smooth.

Step 2

Make planting rows 2 feet apart with the hoe. Make the rows 1 inch deep.

Step 3

Plant the mung beans 1 inch apart along the rows. Cover the seeds with 1 inch of soil. Water the newly planted mung bean seeds generously.

Step 4

Keep the soil evenly moist while the mung beans are germinating.

Step 5

Remove weeds by hand as they appear, to keep the area free of weeds.

Step 6

Mix the fertilizer with water according to package recommendations for the size of your growing area. Apply the fertilizer to the mung beans when the plants are approximately 6 inches high.

Step 7

Harvest mung beans approximately 100 days after planting. Remove the entire plant from the ground by pulling it up.

Step 8

Tie up to five bean plants together to make bunches. Hang the bunches upside down in a shed. Alternatively, spread newspaper on the floor of a shed and spread the mung bean plants in a single layer on the newspaper. Allow the mung beans to dry completely within the pods.

Step 9

Split open the bean pods when the pods are dry and the beans inside are hard and dry. Store the beans for food preparation or for future planting.