How to Grow Urd Beans UK
On this page
In the UK, urd beans are ready to harvest 60–140 days after planting.
Urd beans (Vigna mungo) — Frost-tender annual, intolerant of frost and of prolonged cloudiness.
The short answer
- Ready in
- 60–140 days
- Site
- soil pH 6–7
Urd Bean (Vigna mungo)
Also known as: Black Gram · 2 sources cited
Quick Facts
Soil & Growing Conditions
Harvest & Storage
Urd bean through the season
Plan your Urd Beans planting
When to sow and plant Urd Beans depends on your own frost dates. Check the UK vegetable planting calendar. To work out where it fits in your beds, sketch your plot in the free Garden Layout Planner.
What the research guides add
Urd bean is the same crop as black gram, an Indian pulse, and Feedipedia gives the temperature and soil window it likes.
- It is generally found in lowlands but can grow up to 1,800 m above sea level provided there is neither frost nor prolonged cloudiness. (Feedipedia)
- Optimal growth conditions are average day temperatures of 25 to 35°C and annual rainfall of 600 to 1,000 mm. (Feedipedia)
- It grows better on rich black vertisols or loamy, well-drained soils with a pH of 6 to 7. It can withstand acidic soils (down to pH 4.5) if lime and gypsum are added, but is sensitive to saline and alkaline soils. (Feedipedia)
- It is often used as a dry-season intercrop in rice or wheat, as it has a beneficial effect on soil nutrient status. (Feedipedia)
- It has poor tolerance of wet tropical climates, but in high-rainfall areas it can be grown in the dry period on residual moisture. (Feedipedia)
Sources for this section
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 Urd Bean in another region
Sowing dates, frost timing and local advice differ by country. Use the guide for where you garden.
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 urd beans take to grow?
Typically 60–140 days, depending on cultivar and growing conditions.
What soil pH do urd beans need?
A pH of about 6–7. 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
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 RHS and Met Office guidance. 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.
Related guides
More from the same group (peas & beans):
Growing advice for your part of the UK
Timing and conditions change a lot inside one country. These guides cover frost dates and growing seasons region by region.
Where To Go From Here
Take this crop from reading into a written plan for your own beds.
Keep going
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.