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Winged Beans, Best Crop to Grow during Rainy Season

The winged bean, also known as the goa bean or four-angled bean is a tropical herbaceous legume plant. Its origin is most likely to be in New Guinea and grows abundantly in the hot, humid equatorial countries of South and Southeast Asia.

Updated on: 10 June, 2022 8:44 PM IST By: Aiswarya R Nair
Fresh Winged Beans

Winged Beans are a vegetable known as natural meat. The monsoon season is the best time to cultivate good yielding Winged Beans. This crop does not require much care and is free from pests and diseases. If planted now, it will give good yields by October and November. It is mandatory to bloom square beans during the short day. It is this light-sensitive nature that makes Winged Beans a monsoon crop. Winged Beans are edible from the leaf, stalk, and berry to the root. 

Planting method 

Like other pulses, Winged Beans is grown by sowing seeds. Seeds take at least 10 days to germinate. Germinate quickly after soaking in water for a day. It is best to transplant the plant during the rainy season when the seeds have reached the fourth stage of planting. Plants can be planted in soil or in grow bags prepared with organic manure. If planted in soil, three or four seedlings per bed are sufficient.

Plant two seedlings in the grow bag and allow only strong seedlings to grow. At first, the seedlings of Winged Beans grow very slowly. But after a month the plant will spread vigorously and quickly. Depending on the growth, fertilizers like cow dung, green manure slurry, and ash can be applied. 

Winged Beans Cultivation

Planting and care 

As the vines of the pea spread, the tent should be prepared. It can be spread on fences or walls. Beans can be harvested in 60 days and plucked within 75 days for good care in the beginning. Occasional watering is also good. The nuts should be plucked and used before they ripen well. 

Advantages 

Square peas are high in protein, hence the nickname "meat pea". Beans are rich in calcium, phosphorus, meat, iron, potassium, and vitamins. It's like no other vegetable has vitamin A in it. Its root rhizobium is also good for the soil as it increases the nitrogen availability in the soil. 

The seeds can be prepared 

In the past, square peas were common in the countryside. But today it is rare for people to cultivate legumes. So the main problem is getting seeds for planting. There are those who exchange seeds through groups on social media like Facebook. The seeds need to be dried from the plant itself.

The well-dried fruits should be transplanted from the plant and dried in the sun. If the tuber is not harvested after the first year of harvest, it will germinate again during the monsoon season. The crop will be re-harvested by mid-October to fertilize the soil in the basin. 

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