Bean Seeds, Malawi Green
Bean Seeds, Malawi Green
Bean Seeds, Malawi Green
Malawi Green common beans on a white background.
Bean Seeds, Malawi Green
Bean Seeds, Malawi Green
Bean Seeds, Malawi Green
Malawi Green common beans on a white background.

Bean Seeds,
Malawi Green

SKU: #WW168
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Description
The Malawi Malachite Green beans were brought to Malawi
by German colonizers in the 1800s who grew them as the
Malachite Bean. They have a beautiful iridescent green shimmer
like malachite. The seeds are brought to us by William
Woys Weaver, an internationally known food historian, author,
and heirloom gardener living in Devon, Pennsylvania. His
Roughwood Seed Collection began informally in 1932 by
his grandfather H. Ralph Weaver (1896-1956). When William
discovered this seed collection in a freezer many years later, he
decided to grow out the rare and unusual plants his grandfather
had accumulated. While our original seed came from
Malawi (Africa), we later discovered that this highly productive
bean was developed at the former Royal Agricultural Academy
in Hohenheim, Germany. It was later exported to Africa while
the German Empire maintained colonies there prior to World
War I. Dating to the 1850s, this unusual bean was known commercially
in Europe as the Malachite Bean due to its unique
blue-green color similar to the mineral of the same name. The
4-inch pods on 6-foot vines ripen brownish-yellow with 5 to 6
beans per pod. Try this bean for an unusual green bean soup!
Terrific flavor. A portion of each sale will go to support the
work of Dr. William Woys Weaver.

When to Grow

Beans must have warm weather to germinate — sown into cool soil they simply rot — so wait for warm weather before you direct seed, or start them indoors. Sow 1 inch deep and 2 to 4 inches apart and keep the seedlings moist but not soaked; at an ideal germination temperature of 70–80°F, seeds sprout in 5 to 8 days. These are 6-foot vines, so set them against a fence or build a trellis before they run, and thin the plants to 6 inches apart. Pick continuously to keep them productive, and use drip irrigation to keep the leaves dry and disease free.

How to Sow and Plant

  • Beans are very easy to germinate. Keep in mind that they must have warm weather in order to germinate; cool weather will cause beans to rot in the soil.
  • Direct seed or sow indoors.
  • Sow seeds 1 inch deep and 2-4 inches apart. Keep seedlings moist but not soaked.
  • Ideal germination temperature is 70-80 F.
  • Seeds germinate in 5-8 days.

How to Grow

  • Bush green beans do not need support and should be thinned to 4 inches apart.
  • Continuously pick to keep plants productive.
  • Pole green beans will need support. Try growing them up a fence or constructing a trellis.
  • Thin pole beans to 6 inches apart.
  • Dry beans are grown just like green beans. They can be harvested when immature and used like green beans or left on the vine to dry.
  • To harvest, pull the plants and shake them vigorously into a bag to release the beans from their pods.

PESTS/SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

  • Use drip irrigation to keep leaves dry and disease free.
  • The Mexican bean beetle can be a difficult insect pest. Apply organic insecticidal soap to the undersides of leaves to control the eggs.

How to Save Seeds

  • Beans do not easily cross pollinate and can be grown close to one another, making them the ideal seed saving project for beginners.
  • Save seeds from the best-looking, best- tasting, and most vigorous beans.
  • Store in a cool, dry place for the winter. (A glass jar in the refrigerator works well.)

FAQ

Why is Malawi Malachite Green also called the Malachite Bean?

The beans have a beautiful iridescent green shimmer like malachite, and from the 1850s they were known commercially in Europe as the Malachite Bean because of that blue-green color, similar to the mineral of the same name.

Does it need a trellis?

Yes. The 4-inch pods are carried on 6-foot vines, so this is a pole bean and will need support — grow it up a fence or construct a trellis, and thin the plants to 6 inches apart.

What do the pods look like at harvest, and how should I cook them?

Pick the 4-inch pods young, slender, and green for fresh use - terrific flavor, and worth trying in an unusual green bean soup. Left on the vine the pods ripen brownish-yellow and dry down, with 5 to 6 beans per pod for shelling or seed saving.
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