Mung bean, (Vigna radiata), legume plant of the pea family (Fabaceae), grown for its edible seeds and young sprouts. The mung bean is likely native to the Indian subcontinent and is widely cultivated in Asia for use in a variety of sweet and savory dishes, particularly in India, China, Korea, and Thailand. It is also grown in relatively dry tropical and subtropical areas, including the Caribbean and parts of Africa. Like other culinary beans, mung beans are high in dietary fibre and protein and are also a source of iron, magnesium, potassium, and a number of essential amino acids.
How to Grow Mung Beans in the Garden
When growing mung beans, the home gardener should use the same cultural practices used for green bush beans, except that the pods will be left on the bush longer to allow the beans to dry.
Mung beans are a warm-season crop and take between 90-120 days to mature. Mung beans can be grown outside or inside. Prior to sowing seed, prepare the bed. Mung beans like fertile, sandy, loam soil with excellent drainage and a pH of 6.2 to 7.2. Till the soil to remove weeds, large rocks, and clods and amend the soil with a couple of inches of compost worked in.
Plant the seed when the soil has warmed to 65 degrees F. (18 C.). Sow seed one inch (2.5 cm.) deep and two inches (5 cm.) apart in rows that are 30-36 inches (76 to 91.5 cm.) apart. Keep the area free of weeds but take care not to disturb the roots. Fertilize with a low nitrogen food, such as 5-10-10, at the rate of 2 pounds (1 kg) per 100 square feet (9.5 square m.).
