Black eye beans: description of the variety, cultivation and care with photos

Growing a good harvest of Black Eye beans is the dream of many gardeners. The beans and blades of this plant are at the peak of popularity.

Groups of supporters of healthy eating have formed. People are interested in healthy food. Products must contain a balanced amount of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. There are certain nutritional and taste requirements for dishes. Black eye meets all standards of healthy nutrition.

Cosmetologists also paid attention to beans. Extracts from the Black Eye are included in creams and masks. Scrubs made from dried and ground beans are popular.

Story

This bean was first mentioned in the Talmud in the year 500. It is part of the holiday dish. The product was delivered to America from Asia. It began to be grown in the South American states.

After some time, cowpeas began to be planted in the west of the continent. In the 18th century, this popular product was included in many American dishes.

In the 19th century, after the end of the war between the North and South, beans became especially popular. This is explained by the ease of growing the crop: it required a lot of nutritious and tasty foods.

From America, the Black Eye migrated to Europe. There the plant quickly spread. It has been observed that planting cowpeas enriches the soil with nitrogen, which increases the yield of subsequent plantings.

Growing beans in open ground

Most often, this heat-loving crop is grown in open ground.

Site selection and soil preparation

When choosing a place to plant, you need to know that beans love light-drained soil. But heavy clay soil with excessive stagnation of water is not suitable for it. The pH of the soil for growing beans is 6–7, which means a neutral or slightly acidic reaction.

Considering the love of beans for warmth, it is better to plant them on the southern, southwestern side of the site, so that the soil can warm up well and be illuminated during the day. In partial shade, plant development slows down and the crop ripens later.

Sowing seeds

Beans are a very heat-loving plant, so seeds can be sown in open ground when there is no longer a threat of spring frosts. Most likely this is the end of May - beginning of June (at the same time as planting cucumbers).

Immediately before sowing, the seeds need to be sorted, removing spoiled ones. Bean seeds do not require pre-germination, so they can be planted directly into the ground. In order for the beans to swell and become saturated with moisture, they are kept for 10 minutes in hot water (70°C) and after that they are planted. This procedure speeds up the emergence of seedlings.

Beans are planted without first germinating the seeds.

Description of the variety

Botanists consider the white bean with a black eye to be a member of the Vigna unguiculata family. Her description:

annual plant;
height no more than 0.3 m;
trifoliate bean-type leaves;
fruit - a pod with white beans with a black spot;
Bean ripening period: 120 days;
difference from beans is the curvature of the flower corollas;
demands on heat (short frost destroys plantings);
Black Eye resistance to shading;
sensitivity of beans to soil moisture;
grows on loamy, sandy and clayey soils;
increased soil acidity does not affect bean yield;
you can actually get up to 3 kg of beans per plant;
excellent honey plant.

Protecting beans from pests and diseases

To prevent beans from getting sick and being attacked by pests, you need to follow a few basic rules:

When planting plants, you should strictly follow the sowing pattern. If the foliage is too thick, the sun's rays will not be able to penetrate freely into the planting, and this can lead to the appearance of fungus.
Sowing beans on a heavily blown plot of land can lead to the development of rot on the plants.
Plants damaged by pests should be removed from the site.

Dangerous pests

Beans are rarely attacked by insects. Its main enemies are weevil and spider mites. The latter affects the foliage of beans, the ovaries on the plant stop appearing, and the stems become bare.

The weevil, on the contrary, chooses pods as its habitat. She prefers to eat beans rather than leaves.

You can cope with spider mites and weevil only with the help of pesticides - Fitoverma, Akarina. They must be used according to the instructions.

Spider mites pose a real threat to beans

Common diseases

Beans are most often susceptible to the following diseases:

white rot. It's a fungus. Pods and stems are susceptible to it. To get rid of the disease, the plant is sprayed with a solution of copper oxychloride (40 g per 10 liters of water);
rust. Yellow-whitish spots on some leaves may be a sign of bean disease. Rust does not lead to the death of the crop, but significantly reduces the yield level. To combat it, Bordeaux mixture is used (5 liters per 1 hundred square meters);
anthracnose The appearance of pale brown spots on the foliage indicates primary signs. At an early stage, treatment of anthracnose is still possible. Plants are sprayed with a solution of 100 g of lime, 100 g of copper sulfate and 10 liters of water. At later stages, it is impossible to get rid of the fungus, so plants affected by anthracnose are destroyed;
bacteriosis Brown, oblong-shaped spots surrounded by a yellow or dark green border are a signal of the disease. Then the leaves begin to curl into tubes and turn yellow. Subsequently, the plant remains without foliage. It is impossible to cure beans from bacteriosis. Infected plants should be removed.

Beneficial features

The main value of Black Eye is the presence of protein (23 g/100 g). It completely replaces animal protein. Beans are an alternative for people who do not eat meat or dairy products.

Vigna supplies a person with vitamins B, PP, A, C, iron, and calcium salts. Beans have an optimal potassium to sodium ratio. This helps remove excess fluid from the body.

Carbohydrates in beans contain 60 g/100 g of product. They are easily absorbed by the body. Fat Black Eye has 1 g/100 g.

The total calorie content of the product is 340 kcal. This ensures that beans are included in the diet of people watching their body weight.

Black Eye beans in cooking: the best recipes

Beans with an original color are suitable for preparing many dishes. Americans initially loved them very much. Today, Black Eye bean treats are prepared on all continents.

Peasant soup

A beautiful first course for a family dinner.

Compound:

pork pulp – 200 g;
onion – 2 pcs.;
water – 2 l;
beans – 100 g;
carrots – 1 pc.;
potato tubers – 2 pcs.;
mushrooms – 100 g;
spices, salt and bay leaf - to taste.

Progress:

A broth is prepared from the whole pork and onion, then it is filtered, the chopped pork is added to the rich liquid, and the vegetable is thrown away.
Beans are added to the broth, and after 40 minutes - potato blocks.
Onions, carrots and mushrooms are chopped in a convenient way and sautéed until tender.
The dressing is added to the soup and spices are added.
Keep the pan over low heat until the beans are completely cooked.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=zPaJE4LK8II

Before serving, for brightness, you should garnish the soup with sprigs of cilantro or parsley.

Cheese balls

Hearty products can be prepared without adding meat.

Compound:

beans – 200 g;
tomato and onion - 1 pc.;
cheese – 50 g;
olive oil – 30 ml;
egg – 1 pc.;
breadcrumbs, salt, spices - to taste.

Progress:

The beans are boiled together with whole tomatoes and onions with the addition of spices.
The cheese is grated on a medium grater.
After cooling, the beans are kneaded and mixed with cheese shavings.
Add breadcrumbs and an egg, and then knead the minced meat.
The products are formed and fried until done.

During fasting, you can exclude cheese from the composition. In any case, the cutlets will retain their delicate taste.

Salad “Mood”

A bright appetizer that can be served on a holiday table or served for dinner.

Compound:

beans – 400 g;
corn - 1 can;
cabbage – 300 g;
tomatoes – 200 g;
mayonnaise, salt and herbs - to taste.

Progress:

The beans are boiled until tender and drained in a colander.
Tomatoes are cut into small cubes and mixed with shredded cabbage.
Cooled beans and corn are placed in a bowl.
The appetizer is seasoned with mayonnaise and decorated with your favorite herbs.

For your information! If you use canned beans, the taste of the snack will be just as rich and vibrant.

How to choose?

When purchasing Black Eye for planting, gardeners should pay attention to the condition of the beans:

they must be the same size (this guarantees uniform germination);
the skin is intact, no cracks or tears;
the color is white, glossy, with a characteristic black eye;
absence of dirty spots, growths;
The bean seeds should be dry to the touch.

You should pay attention to the production time: cowpea retains maximum germination for 16-18 months.

Growing

With proper care, black eye provides gardeners with a high yield. Growing Tips:

The success of the enterprise depends on the correct choice of planting material.
In the middle zone, it is recommended to grow Black Eye through seedlings. In the south, beans have enough warm periods.
It is recommended to plant beans in the ground when the soil warms up to 15–17 degrees at a depth of 10 cm.
The soil should be fertilized with organic matter (a bucket per square meter) and a mineral complex (according to the manufacturer’s recommendation).
It is recommended to sow beans with pre-soaked seeds according to a 70x80 cm pattern.
Provide plants with strong support. A wire stretched between the posts will do.
It is recommended to loosen and remove weeds.
It is necessary to monitor soil moisture: cowpea does not tolerate drought and excess water.

The gardener is advised to remember: before planting, the beds must be moistened.

Reviews

Evgeniya, 38 years old
Black eye beans grow well if they are simply sown in the ground with dry seeds. It is good because it is not affected by insects. When grown correctly, a rich harvest is obtained. I froze it in green pods and use it as needed to prepare various dishes.

Elena, 45 years old
I did not grow this variety of beans myself. In our climate, it needs to be planted as seedlings, and this is very troublesome. I buy the product already packaged at the store. These beans make delicious Georgian lobio and vegetable salads.

Features of care

In the southern regions, cowpea produces higher yields. When growing beans in dry places, be sure to consider an artificial irrigation system.

When buds appear, potassium (5 g/square meter) and phosphorus (15 g/square meter) should be added to the soil.

It is recommended to collect mature bean pods in a timely manner: this speeds up the formation of new ones.

Storage rules

The gardener is recommended to prepare a place to store the Black Eye. Green bean blades are placed in bags and frozen.

The beans are aired and placed in plastic containers in a layer of 10–15 cm. To protect against weevils, laurel leaves or cloves of unpeeled garlic are placed in the boxes. The temperature in the storage should be no higher than 10 degrees Celsius. Permissible humidity is within 30%.

Basic classification and types

The dominant division is related to regional affiliation.

Experts distinguish two groups:

American species (Phaseolus L);
Asian (famous varieties Vigna Savi).

Representatives of the first group are plants with short (5-15 cm) beans and large grains of various colors. By the time the seeds ripen, the flaps of the blades acquire hardness and rigidity due to a special parchment layer. The number of grains most often does not exceed 8-10 pieces.

In Asian species, the beans are long (70-130 cm), elongated, slightly curved. The blades have no hard tufts of fibers and no parchment layer. Inside there are 14-20 small grains. Due to the absence of a parchment layer, such pods are suitable for fresh food (for example, Vigna varieties).

There are more than two hundred natural types of beans, but varieties and hybrid forms bred by breeders are planted on the plots. Cultures are distinguished by plant type:

bush - compact, low cultivars (25-40cm), characterized by easy care and unpretentiousness. In demand in industrial vegetable growing, recommended for planting in temperate and severe climate zones;
climbing – liana-shaped plants, with vines up to 3-5 meters. When planting, choose a place near fences, walls, arches, or place special supports. Almost all species are late-ripening, so for cultivation in the conditions of the Urals, Siberia, and the North-West, the harvest in open ground may not wait;
semi-climbing - the lashes of these plants are of medium length, up to two meters. The variety occupies an intermediate place between the first two groups and requires the installation of supports.

The first group includes the varieties Sweet Courage, Cinderella, Strela. Among the curly ones, Turkish, Violetta, and Gerda are popular.

Benefits and harms

The benefits of Black Eye are the use of the plant in dietetics, cosmetology, and medicine. In agriculture, after planting cowpeas, the soil is enriched with nitrogen and becomes more fertile.

Harm can be caused if the amount of beans in the diet is exceeded or if there is an individual intolerance to the components of the plant.

Pests and diseases

The Black Eye variety is tolerant to diseases and many pests. The cause of the former is incorrect agricultural technology - excessive moisture. As a result of stagnation of moisture, gray and white rot develop. In the first stages, normalization of the irrigation regime and treatment with a fungicide will help. During intensive phases of development, affected specimens should be removed and burned, and healthy plantings should be treated.

Among the pests that cause irreparable harm are the nematodes. Crop rotation should be observed and crops should not be planted in the same area for several years in a row, but only at intervals of 3 years.

Application

Black eye is used in several areas.

In medicine

Doctors prescribe dishes made from cowpea blades for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Beans help heart patients. They remove excess fluid from the body.

In cooking

Buyers appreciated the taste of cowpea dishes. They like soups, side dishes, sauces. The Georgian lobio is especially successful.

Application in medicine and cosmetology

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Doctors recommend a diet that includes beans in the menu for diabetes. The fruits contain arginine, which promotes the synthesis of insulin. In addition, “Black Eye” normalizes metabolic processes.

Bean decoctions have a positive effect on the body in the following diseases:

urolithiasis disease;
arthritis;
prostration.

The beauty industry presents a line of products using Black Eye beans. This is a large assortment of masks and creams. Positive effects on the skin from the use of cosmetics with Black Eye beans:

smoothing and reducing wrinkles;
cleansing and toning the dermis;
softening the color of age spots.