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How to Grow Urd Beans USA | Full-Season Growing Guide

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Urd Bean (Vigna mungo)

A handful of shiny black urd bean seeds. Photo: Bhaskaranaidu, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Also known as: Black Gram · 2 sources cited

The short answer

Ready in
60–140 days
Site
soil pH 6–7

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.

Quick Facts

Pale split black gram dal, the husked and split seed — “Black gram dal Phaseolus mungo JEG3361” by PJeganathan is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Black gram dal Phaseolus mungo JEG3361” by PJeganathan is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Factor Value
Soil pH 6 - 7
Optimal growing temp 25-35C
Time to harvest 60-140 days
Soil texture Prefers heavier well-drained soils such as black-cotton soils
Drainage Well-drained
Lifecycle Frost-tender annual, intolerant of frost and of prolonged cloudiness.

Soil & Growing Conditions

A wide urd bean field under an open sky — “உளுந்து விளைச்சல் காலம் ” by Vkraja is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“உளுந்து விளைச்சல் காலம் ” by Vkraja is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Water: Moderate; 600-1000 mm annual rainfall, quite drought resistant

Soil pH range

6 7

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

Harvest & Storage

Hairy young urd bean pods held above the leaves — “Larval Host Plant (Vigna mungo) of Euchrysops cnejus (Fabricius, 1798) – Gram Blue” by Butterflyrajib is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Larval Host Plant (Vigna mungo) of Euchrysops cnejus (Fabricius, 1798) – Gram Blue” by Butterflyrajib is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

When to pick: Flowering starts 30-60 days after sowing; pods are picked as they blacken, over several harvests.

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

Almost everything on this page resolves to your own frost dates rather than the calendar — the last spring frost moves by roughly two months between zone 3 and zone 10. The USA Garden Planner works from your zone so the timing is already decided before the season starts.

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SoilCommander Editorial Team

US vegetable growing guides · Adapted for USDA hardiness zones and US frost dates

Every SoilCommander guide is written and maintained by our editorial team for real US growing conditions, adapted to USDA hardiness zones and US frost-date data, with Cooperative Extension growing advice cited directly where a crop-specific source exists.

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