How to Grow Adzuki Beans UK | Full-Season Growing Guide

Adzuki Bean (Vigna angularis)

A handful of dried red adzuki beans on a pale surface. Photo: Ong Jyh Seng, CC BY-SA 4.0, via iNaturalist.

2 sources cited

The short answer

Ready in: 80–120 days
Site: soil pH 5–7.5

In the UK, adzuki beans are ready to harvest 80–120 days after planting.

Adzuki beans (Vigna angularis) — Frost-tender annual, though the least heat-demanding of this group and the one most suited to a temperate summer.

Quick Facts

A handful of dried red adzuki beans on a pale surface — “Vigna angularis angularis” by Ong Jyh Seng is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: iNaturalist — “Vigna angularis angularis” by Ong Jyh Seng is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: iNaturalist.

Factor	Value
Soil pH	5 - 7.5
Optimal growing temp	15-30C
Time to harvest	80-120 days
Soil texture	Wide range of soils provided they are well drained
Drainage	Well-drained
Lifecycle	Frost-tender annual, though the least heat-demanding of this group and the one most suited to a temperate summer.

Soil & Growing Conditions

A green field of adzuki bean plants in full leaf — “Shiroazuki1” by のりまき is licensed under CC0. Source: Wikimedia Commons — “Shiroazuki1” by のりまき is licensed under CC0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Water: Moderate; 500-1750 mm annual rainfall

Soil pH range

5 7.5

Span reflects genuine variation between the cited authorities, not a single agreed figure.

Harvest & Storage

Dried adzuki bean pods hanging on the plant — “Vigna angularis fruit” by 최옥석 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons — “Vigna angularis fruit” by 최옥석 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

When to pick: Pods dry and the seeds rattle. PROTA gives a growth duration of (60-)80-120(-190) days depending on cultivar.

Adzuki bean through the season

The bean itself

The wine-red seed that gives adzuki its name, milled for the sweet red bean paste of East Asian baking.

A young adzuki bean plant growing in mulched soil — “Vigna angularis angularis” by edouard-brulhart is licensed under CC0. Source: iNaturalist — “Vigna angularis angularis” by edouard-brulhart is licensed under CC0. Source: iNaturalist.

Early growth

A young plant establishing. Adzuki is bushy and erect, reaching about 90 cm.

An adzuki bean plant in leaf with small yellow flowers — “Shiroazuki2” by のりまき is licensed under CC0. Source: Wikimedia Commons — “Shiroazuki2” by のりまき is licensed under CC0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Coming into flower

Bright yellow papilionaceous flowers, 15-18 mm long, carried among three-part leaves.

A cluster of pale yellow adzuki bean flowers — “紅豆 Vigna angularis [香港西貢獅子會自然教育中心 Saikung, Hong Kong]” by 阿橋花譜 KHQ Flower Guide is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Source: Flickr — “紅豆 Vigna angularis [香港西貢獅子會自然教育中心 Saikung, Hong Kong]” by 阿橋花譜 KHQ Flower Guide is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Source: Flickr.

Flower cluster

Adzuki is a quantitative short-day plant, so long northern days can delay flowering.

Close-up of a bright yellow adzuki bean flower — “Vigna angularis yellow flower close-up - Fukufukurou” by Fukufukurou is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons — “Vigna angularis yellow flower close-up - Fukufukurou” by Fukufukurou is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

The flower close up

The keel is twisted, a feature shared across the genus Vigna.

A single yellow adzuki bean flower among the foliage — “赤小豆 Azukia angularis -香港西貢獅子會自然教育中心 Saikung, Hong Kong- (9216113118)” by 阿橋 HQ is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons — “赤小豆 Azukia angularis -香港西貢獅子會自然教育中心 Saikung, Hong Kong- (9216113118)” by 阿橋 HQ is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Among the leaves

Flowers sit low in the canopy rather than standing above it.

Pods drying

Cylindrical pods 5-13 cm long, hanging as they dry. The seeds rattle when ready.

Ready to harvest

PROTA gives a growth duration of 80-120 days for most cultivars.

Field scale

Grown as a field crop in Hokkaido, at a latitude like northern Spain but with far warmer summers.

References

2 independent sources are cited for this crop. Where they disagree - soil pH is the clearest case - every figure is preserved rather than averaged into false precision.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do adzuki beans take to grow?

Typically 80–120 days, depending on cultivar and growing conditions.

What soil pH do adzuki beans need?

A pH of about 5–7.5. That span reflects genuine variation between the authorities we cite rather than a single agreed figure — the References section lists each source's exact range.

Plan next season before the problems start

Most of the advice on this page comes down to timing and spacing — sowing at the right moment, rotating beds, and giving plants enough airflow. The UK Garden Planner lays your plot out month by month so those decisions are already made before the season starts.

Get the UK Garden Planner →

Instant PDF download · Written for UK growing conditions

SoilCommander Editorial Team

UK vegetable growing guides · Checked against RHS & Met Office guidance

Every SoilCommander guide is written and maintained by our editorial team for real UK growing conditions, and reviewed against Royal Horticultural Society growing advice and Met Office climate data before publication.

Vegetable Growing Guides UK

Relevant next steps

Where To Go From Here

Take this crop from reading into a written plan for your own beds.

UK garden plannerTurn this crop guide into sowing dates, bed layouts and a harvest record. All growing guidesBrowse every crop we cover for your region, A to Z. Planting CalendarSee how this crop fits alongside everything else you are growing.

Plan the next step

Use the printable SoilCommander planner for your region to turn this guide into sowing dates, bed layouts and weekly garden tasks.

Get Planner

How to Grow Adzuki Beans UK | Full-Season Growing Guide

Adzuki Bean (Vigna angularis)

Quick Facts

Soil & Growing Conditions

Harvest & Storage

Adzuki bean through the season

References

Frequently Asked Questions

Where To Go From Here

Plan the next step

Join our email list

Your cart is empty

Your cart is empty

How to Grow Adzuki Beans UK | Full-Season Growing Guide

Adzuki Bean (Vigna angularis)

Quick Facts

Soil & Growing Conditions

Harvest & Storage

Adzuki bean through the season

References

Frequently Asked Questions

Where To Go From Here

Plan your veg garden before you dig a single inch

Plan the next step