I would like to try this but I can't find any info on it. My veggie books don't even discuss lentils so I don't know how much space they need. Any ideas?
"The lentil or daal or pulse (Lens culinaris) is a bushy annual plant of the legume family, grown for its lens-shaped seeds. It is about 15 inches tall and the seeds grow in pods, usually with two seeds in each."
:) I want to try it because they're so high in protein. I googled 'growing lentils' and got info on everything but how far apart to plant them! If they generally grow 12-18 inches tall I figure they should be planted 8-12 inches apart, but it would be nice to know for sure!
Just for fun, I planted wheat (whole wheat berries) in some soil by the street. I figured it wouldn't look "sexy," so the neighborhood kids/passersby would probably leave it alone.
They have! But the only source I found, an old edition of Jeavons' "More Vegetables," recommended 5-inch spacing. I've got to say that, next year, I'll use 2-inch spacing for wheat. It's an incredibly skinny plant, and mine are anywhere from 12 to 30 inches tall. A few grass leaves, then some straw-ish stems, then the wheat "ears." Two inches will be plenty of space for them to "do their thing" next year.
If you can find a picture of a growing lentil plant, look at how much breadth it has.
But growing lentils *does* sound like a lot of work. If you're looking for protein in your garden, maybe soybeans would be more rewarding for your effort?
I read that the phyto-estrogens in soybeans are iffy when it comes to children's nutrition. And I really like lentil soup and stew! Found an article on Wikipedia that said 400,000 plants per acre, which translated to 20 per square foot! Think I'll go with 9 per foot and see how they do.
Well it makes more than one pod per plant! : ) I broke down the ag specs and came to 1/4 lb per plant = 2 1/4 lbs per square foot. That'll make me a lot of soup......
I came across this PDF, It gives seed weights for lentils between 6,500 and 19,700 per pound. That's roughly 3,250 to 9,850 pods to get a pound of lentils.
I'm not discouraging you from trying to grow them, it just seems like a HELL of a lot of work for a bowel of soup....
: ) I wasn't going to say anything. : ) I sprouted a few lentils, enough for one square and I'll just see what happens. It'll be a change from the beans, peas, leeks, shallots, onions, garlic, celery, celeriac, beets, chard, broccoli, escarole, lettuce, mache, spinach and carrots I'm already growing! :)
duhast, in many cases it only takes a cup of lentils for a pot of soup, especially if other veggies are added.
Healthy Lentil Soup Serves 4
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper 2 cloves garlic finely chopped 7 cups water 1 cup dried brown lentils 4 Vegetable Flavor Bouillon Cubes 1 teaspoon vinegar 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach or kale 1/2 cup quick-cooking brown rice
HEAT oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
ADD water, lentils, bouillon and vinegar; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cover. Cook for 18 to 20 minutes or until lentils are tender.
STIR in spinach and rice; cover. Return to boil. Reduce heat to low; uncover. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes or until rice is tender.
I haven't made this recipe yet, but had it in my "try" file.
duhast
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cynthia_h
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duhast
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duhast
duhast
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anniesgranny
Patty K