Calypso Bean

Product Details

Also known as Orca drying bean. This unusual bi-coloured Mexican heirloom has a creamy texture when cooked, and it looks great on the plate. The plants are relatively compact bushes, growing to only 45cm (18”) tall. The beans are easy to grow and fun to harvest. Plant some Calypso bean seeds in the organic vegetable garden and enjoy the dried beans in soups and stews all winter long. The open pollinated seeds are easy to harvest and dry for planting the following year.

Matures in 80 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

• Also known as Orca Drying Beans
• Easy to grow
• Fun to harvest
• Open pollinated
• Matures in 80 days

All About Calypso Bean

Latin

Phaseolus vulgaris

Family

Fabaceae

Difficulty

Easy

Season & Zone

• Season: Warm season
• Exposure: Full sun

Timing

Sow as early as possible for dry beans, in late spring, once the soil warms up a bit so plants can mature before wet weather sets in. Optimal soil temperature: 21-32°C (70-90°F).

Starting

Sow seeds 2-5cm (1-2”) deep, 5-8cm (2-3”) apart, in rows 45-60cm (18-24”) apart. Thin to at least 15cm (6”) apart in each row. If the weather is too wet, beans can also be started in pots indoors and set out carefully a few weeks later. Seeds will sprout in 8-16 days, depending on conditions.

Growing

Ideal pH: 6.0-6.5. Well drained, warm soil in full sun is best. Raised beds help with both drainage and warmth. Use 1 cup of complete organic fertilizer for every 3m (10’) of row. Too much nitrogen in fertilizer or manure may cause poor pod set and delayed maturity. If beans flower but do not set pods, the cause can be zinc deficiency. Try spraying the plants with kelp-based fertilizer. Wet leaves on crowded plants are subject to diseases. Thin plants to increase air circulation and avoid touching the leaves while they are wet.

Harvest

Stop all watering when the first pods start drying out. Harvest when the seedpods are straw coloured. Pull the plants up by the roots and hang to dry. To shell the beans bash them back and forth inside a bag or pillowcase. Or shell them individually by hand. Do not pick until pods are dry. The beans themselves can then be set somewhere out of direct sunlight, where air movement is good, for a further week to ensure even dryness.

Diseases & Pests

Cutworms and root maggots can attack seeds and seedlings. Allowing for good air circulation between plants, and taking care not to over-fertilize can slow foliar disease, both fungal and bacterial. When thinning your seedlings try to keep enough space in between for air circulation to reduce disease incidence.

Companion Planting

Beans fix nitrogen in the soil. Plant with Brassicas, carrots, celery, chard, corn, cucumber, eggplant, peas, potatoes, radish, and strawberries. Avoid planting near chives, garlic, leeks, and onions. Pole beans and beets stunt each other’s growth.