Collecting bean seeds from your garden is simple and fun. In this post, I will show when to harvest beans for seed, how to save bean seeds for next year step-by-step, and also how to store them until spring.
Beans are one of the most commonly grown vegetables in home gardens. I mean, who doesn’t love garden fresh green beans? Yum!
Not only are beans super easy to grow, you can also save bean seeds and grow them again next year – for free!
Green beans growing in my garden
Table of Contents
Saving Bean Seeds For Planting Next Year
I collect tons of different types of seeds from my garden every year, and beans are no exception.
Beans grow so fast, and sometimes they are really hard to spot on the plant. Many times you miss a few here and there.
You know those giant beans that look like arthritic fingers that seemed to have grown overnight? Well, those are too tough to eat, but they’re perfect for saving bean seeds.
Harvesting green bean seeds from my garden
When To Harvest Beans For Seed
Leave those giant beans on the plant until they turn brown and dry out. Often times I will find a bunch of dried out beans on the plants as I’m cleaning out the gardens in the fall.
You’ll know the beans are ready to harvest when the skin is dried out and brittle.
What Do Bean Seeds Look Like?
Depending on the variety of beans you grew, your bean seeds might be anywhere from white in color, to brown or even black.
Bean seeds and chaff
How To Collect Bean Seeds From Your Garden
It’s easy to harvest beans for seed. Once it’s ready, just pull or cut the bean pod off the plant and drop it into a container.
After you gather the dried bean pods from your garden, collect the seeds by breaking open the pods.
Try to do this as soon as you can, especially if the bean pods are wet. Don’t let the seeds sit in the pod for too long, or they might get moldy.
How To Save Bean Seeds For Next Year
After you remove them from the bean pod, allow them to dry out completely before storing the seeds.
You can store your bean seeds in a plastic container (film canisters are perfect for this), a paper bag or seed envelope until spring.
If you want to share your seeds with friends, you can buy customized envelopes, or make your own DIY seed packet envelopes.
I like to store my seeds in a clear plastic shoe box container, but if you’re more organized then I am, a Seed Keeper would be perfect for you!
Where To Buy Bean Seeds
It’s pretty easy to find lots of different kinds of bean seeds for sale at any garden center mid-winter through spring.
You can always buy bean seeds online any time of the year. Here are some great, quality bean seeds you can buy to get started…
Saving bean seeds from the garden is fun and easy, and it doesn’t take much time. You can store them for planting next year, and share them with friends!
If you want to learn how to start your seeds indoors for your summer garden, then my Starting Seeds Indoors eBook is for you! It’s a quick-start guide for beginners to learn how to get started with growing their own seeds. Download your copy now!
More Posts About Saving Seeds
- How To Harvest Dill Seeds From Your Garden
- How To Collect Seeds From Your Radishes
- How To Collect & Get Lettuce Seeds
- How To Save Pea Seeds From Your Garden
Share your tips for how to save bean seeds in the comments section below.
Becky says
I’m just now cleaning my garden out from last year. If the beans aren’t moldy, could I use them to plant new plants this year? They were in the garden all winter.
Amy Andrychowicz says
More than likely the bean seeds won’t be viable after sitting in the garden all winter, especially if you live in a climate where it gets below freezing. If you find any seeds that are firm and not mushy, then you could certainly try planting them, but you’ll have much better success if you collect your bean seeds in the summer and/or fall before frost.
Ron says
I save the seeds from the pods that have the most seeds in them hoping to “improve” the harvest next year by having, on average, pods with more seeds. I also freeze them before storing them if putting them aside for winter eating. I don’t want bean weevils hatching in the storage jars.