A member of the legume family, lentils (Lens culinaris) and their relatives — including legumes, beans and peas — are cultivated around the globe for more than 6,000 decades. A self-supporting vine, lentil plants may reach 18 to 24 inches tall, with all 2-inch chemical leaves and beautiful white, lilac or blue blooms. Select from any one of these 13 cultivars available for planting to start a fun project of growing lentils for seeds.
Journal
Treat yourself to a gorgeous notebook and a wonderful pen. Use it to diary all of the fascinating things that happen during the planting and harvesting season. Include simple sketches, if you love drawing. Look at documenting things such as how long it took seeds to germinate, plant height and defining features at weekly intervals, when the first flowers appeared, seed pod length and the number of seeds in each, seasonal rain, when pods are ready to harvest and the time of day the flowers typically open.
Growing Lentils
Within a Mediterranean climate, plant this cool-season harvest two to three weeks before the final average frost date, or in the summer season as a winter harvest. With an 80- to 110-day growing year, lentils germinate and grow best when daytime temperatures are 65 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Plant seeds 1/2 inch deep in a well-drained bed in full sun or partial shade. Space seeds one inch apart, thinning them to four to six inches apart when the plants reach a height of 6 inches. Preserve row spacing of 18 to 24 inches to prevent powdery mildew development, which may affect plants spaced too closely. Control weeds with a thick layer of mulch and keep the soil moist until flowers appear — then stop watering unless it is very dry. Side dress with compost when the plants are approximately 6 inches tall and when flowers first originate. Even though aphids and weevils can bother lentils, they’re free from serious diseases.
Protecting Seeds
Lentils are self-pollinating. In moist, fertile places where there are lots of other blooms for your insects to visit, and where no other beans are being grown — peanuts, peas, beans — you do not need to worry about cross-pollination. When it is a concern, cover the plants with a cage made of rigid wire molded into half-circles and thrust to the ground. Cover the wire with a floating row cover or a soft window display. Instead, use tomato cages covered with row cover or display and attached together with clothespins. Save seeds from the healthiest plants — those that are proven to thrive in your climate. To acquire the strongest seed stock, be ruthless about culling; after plants are approximately 6 inches tall, pull any that are stunted.
Harvesting Seeds
In 80 to 110 days, the seed pods will mature and the plants will begin to die back. Allow the pods to dry on the plant. Seeds that crack when you hit them with a hammer are absolutely dry, while some that mash require more drying time. If a frost is imminent and the pods are still moist, then pull the entire plant and hang it upside down in a warm place until the forks are thoroughly dry. To separate the seeds from the pods, place the forks at a pillow case, tie it close and jog on it. Winnow by pouring this seed mixture from basket to basket facing a fan set on “medium .” Put a large sheet beneath you while you’re working to capture the chaff. Store the seeds in 0 degrees Fahrenheit or colder for five or more days to eliminate the bean weevils that are commonly present in lentils.
Seed Packets
Once you’ve grown lentils especially adapted to your region and saved their seeds, feature your hard-earned intellect on custom-made seed bundles. Blank packets are available online, or you may make your own with some glue. Include everything that you’ve learned, taking the very fascinating information from your notebook. In addition to planting advice, consider adding sketches and descriptions of all the plants, their blooms and their seed pods. These can be stored in a cool dark place like a refrigerator, given away as gifts or sold.