A Detailed Guide to the Planting Methods and Planting Time of Black Bean Sprouts

SummaryPlanting time: sow in mid-May. Planting techniques: the sowing rate is 70-90 kg/hectare, the sowing depth is generally 3-4 cm, after the seedlings emerge evenly the furrows between ridges should be loosened deeply in time, fertilizer should be applied in time at the early flowering stage and the seed-filling stage, and watering should be done at the right time during the growing period. To promote plump black bean seeds, actively prevent and control diseases and pests such as gray leaf spot and aphids; after harvesting, dry in the sun for 5-7 days and thresh by manual flailing.

Everyone has probably heard of bean sprouts, but have you heard of black bean sprouts? They are not exactly the same as bean sprouts. So how do you grow bean sprouts? We have listed the following methods for you, along with the planting time for black bean sprouts, so those who want to give it a try can also try it at home and grow healthy black bean sprouts to eat themselves.

Planting Methods for Black Bean Sprouts

1. Variety selection

For growing black bean sprouts, you should choose varieties that sprout quickly, have a short growth cycle, produce sprouts of uniform thickness, have strong disease resistance, and taste good. At present, the two commonly used varieties are GanniuLiao black bean and Pingding black, and it is best to use black beans harvested in the current year.

2. Seed treatment

Before planting black bean sprouts, first winnow the seeds and float them in water, removing seeds that are damaged by mechanical crushing, insect-eaten, moldy, or too small. When floating them in water, rub and wash them repeatedly gently with your hands, repeatedly skim off impurities and inferior beans, then scoop the black beans into a bamboo sieve to drain off the water.

3. Soaking seeds in warm water

Pour the drained black beans into warm water at 55°C for warm-water seed soaking. Stir quickly and continuously in one direction. The amount of water used for soaking is twice the amount of dry seeds. After stirring for about 15 minutes, add an appropriate amount of cold water, and soak when the temperature drops to 25°C. At the same time, add one tube (2 ml) of rootless bean sprout hormone, stir evenly, and soak the seeds for 24 hours. At this point the black beans have absorbed enough water. Rinse them 2-3 times with clean water, pour them into a bamboo sieve to drain off the water, air-dry for 3-5 minutes, and prepare for sprouting.

4. Disinfection and sprouting

Spread a layer of toilet paper on the bottom of a disinfected foam box, spray it moist with warm water at 25-30°C, and evenly spread the black beans in the box so that the beans are packed closely together in a dense layer on the bottom of the box. Use 350 grams of dry bean seeds per box. After spreading, spray with warm water at 20°C. The amount of spray should be such that no water drips from the foam box and no water accumulates, so as to avoid the seeds rotting. Then stack the trays in piles of 6 trays each for sprouting.

Planting Time for Black Bean Sprouts

The sowing time for black beans is generally from May 15 to 20. When the ground temperature at a soil depth of 5 cm steadily passes 8-9°C, monitor the soil moisture and sow at the right time with a precision seeder in double rows at equal spacing on the ridge, pressing as you sow. The cultivation density of black beans should be determined according to the variety's characteristics, natural conditions, soil fertility, and cultivation method. The seedling retention density is 200,000-260,000 plants/hectare, and the sowing rate is 70-90 kg/hectare.

How to Manage Black Bean Sprouts During the Seedling Stage

1. Black bean sprouts usually can reach 3-4 cm in about 30 hours. Place the foam box on a rack or on the ground, take one tube of rootless bean sprout hormone (2 ml) and mix it with 1-2 kg of water, and spray the sprouts to reduce the production of lateral roots and root hairs and increase the area of the cotyledons.

2. When the black bean sprouts are 8-9 cm tall, take one tube of thickening agent (2 ml) and mix it with 1-1.5 kg of water, and spray the sprouts to inhibit the elongation of true leaves, make the stems thicker and more crisp and tender, reduce the fiber content, and make the bean cotyledons plump, fresh green and glossy, improving their marketability.

3. During the entire production process of black bean sprouts, spray water 2-4 times a day. If the temperature is high and the humidity is low, spray more; otherwise, spray less. Spray less in the early growth stage; in the later stage growth is rapid and the water requirement is large, so spray more.

4. During the production of black bean sprouts, promptly remove moldy and rotten seeds to avoid creating a center of infection and infecting the surrounding bean seeds. When the foam box is used again, it must be thoroughly disinfected with fungicide and exposed to the sun for 3-4 hours.

How to Prevent Diseases in Black Bean Sprouts

Black bean sprouts rarely suffer from diseases, but during the sprouting stage they are prone to seed mold and rot, and during the growing stage they are prone to root rot and seedling collapse. In order to ensure that the product meets green, pollution-free food standards, during production the seedling boxes and other utensils should be strictly cleaned, and a 0.1% potassium permanganate solution can be used to spray the seedling boxes and the greenhouse. If rotten sprouts are found, they should be removed as early as possible.

Based on the above suggestions, everyone can try growing black bean sprouts at home. It is still best to refer to their planting time. Although the temperature can be adjusted manually, natural growth is still better, so that the black bean sprouts also grow in an original ecological way. Try a few more times and you will always succeed.