TEPARY: THE BEAN THAT LAUGHS AT DROUGHT
(Page 2 of 4)
TEPARY CULTURE... BOWL AND ARROYO
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Phaseolus a cutifolius is traditionally a two
season bean, with the first planting being made in early
spring and another in midsummer. (The Pimas sowed their
teparies when the mesquite bushes leafed out and again when
the saguaro was harvested.) The seeds some sources are
listed at the end of this article-should be planted two
inches deep, eyes down, and two to three inches apart . . .
with each row one and one half to two feet from its
neighbor. (Folks who plant by the moon generally agree that
the second lunar quarter is the prime bean sowing
time.)
It's best to cultivate your tepary patch regularly, to keep
down weed competition, at least until the blooms appear.
Note, too, that these are pole beans, which will require
some sort of support (a wire or string fence would be a
good choice). And, though teparies will grow under very
arid conditions, they'll generally produce better-as
noted above-when watered. The legumes have a
reputation for adaptability, however, so, to find the
optimum amount for your location, you might want to vary
the waterings given to different clusters of plants in your
first crop and note the results.
If you're in the mood for experimentation, you could try to
duplicate the early native Americans' method of
cultivation. Using a digging stick, such farmers would sow
three to five seeds, three inches deep, in hills spaced six
to eight feet apart. The Papagos often planted their
teparies at the mouths of arroyos, waiting till after those
gullies had been flooded with the early summer rains. These
areas are usually moister than the open desert, and they're
also rich in the nutrients and trace minerals washed down
by the seasonal torrents.
Regardless of which growing method you choose, though, you
should know that teparies aren't eaten green. Let them dry
on the vine, and harvest the small kernels when they're
orange brown. Papago women traditionally shelled the beans
by beating the pods with sticks. The harvesters would then
parch the kernels over live coals to destroy any insect
eggs that might be present. (You can accomplish the same
thing by simply placing the beans, on a shallow baking pan,
in a 180° oven for 15 minutes . . . or by freezing them
for at least an hour.)
