How to grow Winged Beans

Where to plant

Grow winged beans in full sun against a tall, strong trellis in well-drained soil that stays moist throughout the season. They grow best around 77°F; cool soil suppresses germination and extreme heat lowers yields.

Day length controls flowering. Most varieties flower only when days are shorter than about 12 hours, which in the US means from late September onward; some varieties are reported to be day-neutral. That is why they suit areas with a long, frost-free fall.

• South and Central Florida: sow in spring or late summer; short-day types sown by early September flower and pod in fall and winter in frost-free areas.
• North Florida and the Gulf South: sow a day-neutral variety in spring for summer pods; sow short-day types by early September and pick before the first frost.
• California: sow from spring into summer in warm, sheltered spots; pods come in fall.
• Mid-South: marginal. Choose a day-neutral variety and sow in May or June once the soil is warm.
• Hawaii: grows year round.
• Texas, the Desert Southwest, the Mid-Atlantic and colder regions: frost usually arrives before short-day types can pod, and dry heat does not suit them.

How to plant

1. Nick or soak the hard seeds before sowing to speed germination, which otherwise takes about five to seven days in warm soil.
2. Sow about 1 inch deep, about 12 inches apart, along the base of a strong trellis once the soil is warm.
3. Weed carefully while plants are young, before the vines cover the trellis.
4. Guide the vines up the support; they grow quickly once established.

Watering and feeding

Keep the soil moist throughout the plant's life for the best yields, watering deeply in dry spells.

Winged beans fix their own nitrogen through root nodules and can be grown without added fertilizer. In a bed that has not grown them before, a cowpea-type inoculant may help.

Harvesting

Pods reach full length about two weeks after flowering and turn fibrous about a week after that, so pick them young, about 3 to 6 inches long, while tender and the wings are crisp. Pick every few days.

Mature, dry pods for seed are ready about six weeks after flowering. Young leaves and shoot tips and the flowers can be picked as greens, and in many varieties the tuberous roots can be dug at the end of the season.

Using it

Slice young pods crosswise into stars and stir-fry, steam or add to curries and salads. Cook young leaves like spinach and add flowers to salads. Mature seeds are used like soybeans and should be cooked thoroughly.