Horticultural Planning Records Est. data · NOAA 1991–2020 · USDA 2023

Vegetable · Fabaceae

How to Grow Tepary Bean

Warm season Frost tender Full sun
Days to maturity 85–100
Spacing 4"
Plants / sq ft 1.5
Season Warm

Planting Tepary Bean

Tepary Bean is a warm season vegetable in the Fabaceae family. Getting the timing right is the difference between a strong stand and a disappointing one, so the windows below are given relative to your own last spring frost and first fall frost rather than a generic calendar date. Look up your local frost dates and count back or forward from there.

Sow Tepary Bean directly into the garden 2–3 weeks after your last frost, once the soil has warmed.

Spacing and Planting Depth

Give Tepary Bean room to mature. The figures below come from verified extension and seed-supplier data for typical varieties.

Spacing in row4 inches
Row spacing24 inches
Plants per sq ft1.5
Planting depth1 inches
Sun requirementFull sun

Days to Maturity

Tepary Bean reaches maturity in 85–100 days from sowing.

Tepary Bean is ready to harvest after about 93 days. Harvest before the first fall frost, which will end the plant's productive season.

Conditions and Care

As a warm-season vegetable, Tepary Bean needs warm soil and settled weather to thrive, and is set back or killed by frost. It is frost tender, so wait until all danger of frost has passed before planting out and harvest before the first fall frost.

Tepary Bean needs full sun — give it at least six hours of direct light a day for the best growth and flavor. Sow seed about 1 inch deep, then keep the soil evenly moist until seedlings establish.

Tepary Bean belongs to the Fabaceae family; rotating where you grow members of this family each year helps limit the build-up of soil-borne pests and disease. Tepary Bean is generally grown as a single planting each season rather than succession sown.

Companion Plants

Pairing Tepary Bean with the right neighbors can improve growth and deter pests; a few combinations are best avoided.

Grows well with: Corn

Keep away from: Onion, Garlic

Growing Notes

Extremely drought-tolerant Southwest dry bean.

Plan your Tepary Bean schedule

Tepary Bean is typically grown as a single planting per season rather than succession sown. Plan your full garden →

Data sources
  • UC Davis