Puerto Rican Black Bean Garden Guide: How To Grow From Seed To Harvest

Puerto Rican Black Bean Garden Guide: How To Grow From Seed To Harvest

If you’ve never grown Puerto Rican black beans before, you’re in for a flavorful and rewarding experience. Known for their rich, earthy taste and creamy texture, these heirloom beans are a beloved staple in Caribbean cuisine—and they thrive in warm, sunny gardens. In this post, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to grow Puerto Rican black beans from seed to harvest, whether you’re planting in a backyard garden or a raised bed. From sowing tips to harvesting and drying your beans, you’ll learn how to cultivate this traditional crop for a delicious, homegrown addition to your pantry.

Watch the video version of this guide:

What Makes Puerto Rican Black Beans Special

If you haven't heard about Puerto Rican black beans, allow me to enlighten you. Unlike the typical black turtle beans found in grocery stores, these beans belong to the cow pea family, renowned for thriving in hot and tropical climates. They are better adapated to growing in sub tropical or tropical conditions when compared to regular black beans. This means they thrive or push through common pests and diseases that would decimate a crop of regular black beans, grown in hot climates. 

Finding The Best Spot To Grow Puerto Rican Black Beans In Your Garden

Puerto Rican black beans love sunlight—ensure they get at least 6-8 hours of direct sun daily for the healthiest vines and best quality seeds. Their adaptability means they thrive in various soils, even sandy ones like native Florida soil, but they grow best in well-composted soil. Just like regular beans, Puerto Rican black beans are are nitrogen-fixers, helping enrich the soil as they grow. There is no need to fertilize this crop. In fact, excess nutrients will cause it to grow lots of vines and leaves but produce little flowers and bean pods. 

Puerto Rican black beans grow long, thick, vigorous vines. I highly reccomend growing them on a sturdy trellis to make locating and harvesting the pods easier. I grow mine on a trellis made with T posts and some heavy duty mesh vinyl trellis. 

Watch my video on how I build my trellis systems HERE. 

When To Plant Puerto Rican Black Beans

Timing is crucial for these day light-sensitive beans, as they flower and produce pods when daylight decreases in the fall. I prefer to plant seeds directly into the soil in June so that by the time the days shorten, the vines have fully matured. If you are gardening in zone 8 or above, these beans will reward you with a remarkable yield through the fall and early winter months. Since Puerto Rican black beans produce in the fall and early winter, this is not a suitable crop for cold climates because the winter frost and freezes will kill the plant before it has a chance to produce. 

How To Direct Sow Seeds For Puerto Rican Black Beans

Direct sowing the seeds is the preferred method. I simply dig a 1 inch deep trench, in a straight line, right under my trellis system. Sprinkle in some seeds, cover with soil, and water them in. It is that easy. Keep the soil moist over the next few days to help induce germination. 

The Harvesting Process

If I direct sow seeds in June, I usually start noticing the first flowers in August. Soon afterward, the pods and beans emerge. Wait for the pods to dry out and turn brown before harvesting. It's essential to handle them gently during harvest to avoid damaging the vine tips, because the tips is where the next flush of growth will come out of, and thus subsequent flowers and pods. 

Cleaning and Storing Your Bounty

Once harvested, the process of cleaning and storing begins. I simply gather the dry pods in a bowl until I have gathered a substantial number before cleaning them. I begin by putting all of the dried pods in a large plastic tote box. Then I step on them, much like stomping grapes to break apart the pods and release the seeds. Another method is to wear some gloves and mash/grind them up with your hands, or pour them all into a pillow case and mash/grind. I then use the wind or mesh strainers to remove all the chaff and dried bits of pods. This method allows me to quickly and efficiently get my beans ready for storage.

Enjoying Your Harvest

Once the seeds are clean, I pour them into glass mason jars for storage. Store them in a cool, dry, dark spot in your pantry. Use and cook with Puerto Rican black beans just like you would any other type of dried bean.