How to Grow Cluster Beans
On this page
Cluster beans are ready to harvest 45–100 days after planting.
The short answer
- Ready in
- 45–100 days
- Site
- soil pH 7–8
Cluster Bean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba)
Also known as: Guar · 2 sources cited
Quick Facts
Soil & Growing Conditions
Harvest & Storage
Cluster bean through the season
What the research guides add
Cluster bean is the same plant as guar, a heat-loving summer legume, so the question for most gardens is whether the soil gets warm enough.
- A coarse, upright, bushy, drought-resistant summer annual, 2 to 9 feet tall, native to India, where it is grown for green fodder and for pods used as food. (UF/IFAS Extension)
- It is sensitive to cold, so grow it in the warm season; a soil temperature of 70°F is necessary for germination. (UF/IFAS Extension)
- It is a short-day plant, setting denser clusters in winter than in summer in Puerto Rico, and it grows better when irrigated even though it is fairly drought resistant. (UF/IFAS Extension)
- Where killing frosts are a danger, Florida advises a spring or a fall crop. Its culture (spacing and method of seeding) is similar to soybean. (UF/IFAS Extension)
- Arizona describes guar as very well adapted to arid and semiarid climates with high temperature and plenty of sunshine, and growing best in well-drained soil of coarse to medium texture. (University of Arizona SBAR)
- Guar is susceptible to waterlogging, so heavy clay soils are not recommended; where drainage is poor, raised beds protect the roots from root pathogens. (University of Arizona SBAR)
Sources for this section
- University of Florida IFAS Extension: HS608 Guar, Cyamopsis tetragonoloba
- University of Arizona, Sustainable Bioeconomy for Arid Regions: Guar
Section researched and checked on 25 October 2026 by the SoilCommander Editorial Team. How we check facts: editorial policy.
Last verified 2026-10-25
Growing Cluster Bean in another region
Sowing dates, frost timing and local advice differ by country. Use the guide for where you garden.
Sources
These 2 sources are specific to this region. The full list of 2 sources behind this guide (Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA), Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU Agritech Portal)) is in the references of our UK guide to cluster beans; they describe the plant itself, which is the same wherever it grows.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do cluster beans take to grow?
Typically 45–100 days, depending on cultivar and growing conditions.
What soil pH do cluster beans need?
A pH of about 7–8. 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
This page gives you the thresholds; the planner turns them into your own calendar. It works from what you can observe and measure in your garden rather than from dates written for somebody else’s latitude.
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How this guide is put together
The growing data on this page — sowing windows, pests, diseases, soil and site requirements — comes from named horticultural sources, listed in References below, checked against international horticultural research and extension sources. An automated pipeline assembles that verified data into the page you're reading: it selects which facts to lead with and builds the surrounding prose and layout. It does not invent a date, a source or a number — where a verified value for a field isn't available, the page leaves it out rather than guessing. A person reviews and publishes each page; nothing goes live unverified.
Where To Go From Here
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Use the printable SoilCommander planner for your region to turn this guide into sowing dates, bed layouts and weekly garden tasks.