The bass They are the classic green beans of a lifetime. These are annual climber-type herbaceous plants whose seeds are extracted from their pods and constitute a food widely consumed throughout the world. It is known by other common names such as beans, beans, beans, and beans. The origin of the Bajocas can be found in the Mesoamerican region of South America.
In this article we are going to tell you everything you need to know about bass, their characteristics and their cultivation.
Origin and characteristics of the bass
Bajocas are annual and climbing herbaceous plants. The seeds extracted from the pods constitute the food that is currently consumed throughout the world. Bajocas originated in Central and South America, especially in the Peruvian plateau area, and its cultivation history dates back more than 8.000 years. Although there are many varieties called green beans, the most famous of them are called Phaseoluswhich belong to the legume family.
It is recognized as an annual herb. It is an upright and climbing plant, and uses a guide to climb the walls, pillars or tissues where it can grow. They have a pubescent stem and their leaves are tri-pinnate with a lanceolate shape. They have an intense green color that characterizes them.
The flowers are arranged in axillary racemes shorter than the leaves. This plant has a cluster of pistils, which produces an elongated, linear legume of green color and of 4 to 10 kidney-shaped seeds that we know as beans, bajocas, or green beans. The young pods of certain varieties are also edible and in some areas they are called green beans.
The ancient pre-Hispanic civilizations of Central and South America, with special attention to the Peruvian highlands, knew this plant very well, it was not only used as a seed, but also as a bargaining chip. When the Spanish came to the American territory, bass crossed the Atlantic and its cultivation spread throughout Europe and Asia.
Low consumption
The seeds of these plants can be eaten fresh or dried. In fact, when eaten fresh, it is called green beans. For this consumption, both the seed and the legume that cover it are used. The bass can be eaten after cooking without separating the seeds from the beans.
Furthermore, the consumption of the dried bass is the result of allowing them to ripen. Once ripe, the well-known kidney-shaped seeds are collected and extracted. These seeds are then air dried and sold in this state. In short, let’s say that the bajocas are those beans just prepared for consumption, and their seeds are inside the legume.
Farming
The bass need some environmental conditions and unique care to be able to have a good development and grow in good conditions. We are going to analyze which are the main aspects to take into account. First of all is the temperature. These legumes prefer a somewhat humid and mild climate that does not have sudden changes in temperature. Humid and mild climates are the ones that give good results, although hot climates are the ones that give the best results. Temperatures below 12 degrees mean that the bass cannot develop well. The range of temperatures that exceed 30 degrees can cause abortions in the fruits.
All this makes moderately warm climates the most optimal for bass. The second aspect to consider is the floor. Green beans accept a wide variety of soils as long as they are light soils and have good drainage. We remember that drainage is the ability of the soil to filter rainwater or irrigation without accumulating it. If the water accumulates too much during the rains, irrigation can rot the roots of the shallows.. Another aspect of the soil to consider is the amount of organic matter. They must be rich in it.
Regarding the pH of the soil, it is preferable that the optimal values are between 6-7.5. One detail to keep in mind is that after the cold season it is advisable to wait here for the soil to recover the optimum temperature to start sowing again. Otherwise, it will not be able to develop in good condition.
Sowing must be done directly from the seeds. On each occasion, 2-3 seeds should be placed, which will be covered with about 3 centimeters of soil. Spring is the perfect season to start planting as soil temperatures have risen a bit. In regions that do not have cold seasons, cultivation can also be started in autumn. Once it has been sown, germination usually begins after 10 days in general. The growth is somewhat slower and you have to wait approximately 90 days for its harvest. When the pods or legumes have a length of about 15 centimeters, when to start harvesting.
You have to water regularly, always maintaining adequate soil moisture and avoid any type of waterlogging. It is important that the soil is maintained with a certain degree of humidity so that the plant can always have water. However, we should not confuse ponding with humidity.
Benefits and properties
These plants are low in calories, rich in fiber, potassium and beta carotenes. They are usually offered in some dishes of high quality restaurants. Some of them can be seen cited as beans. Given their high content of vitamins and fiber, they are excellent for lowering cholesterol and preventing obesity and constipation. The bass should be eaten cooked, both the pod and the seeds since they are still immature legumes.
The main bass producing country in the world is India. They tend to export large quantities of beans to the rest of the world. The demand is quite high.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about bass, their characteristics and their cultivation.
