Description

BABY BLUE LENTILS (Lens esculenta puyensis) are an expensive European heirloom gourmet lentil that is definitely worth growing at home. The taste and consistency of the blue lentil is superior to other lentils and they cook quickly without going soggy or losing their shape -- that makes them a great choice for salads. They can also be eaten as sprouts. The taste is nutty and they are a powerhouse for nutrients -- packed with iron, potassium, folic acid and low in fat, high in fibre and protein. The size is elegant - each lentil is just 5 mm! Grow as any legume. Although they are drought tolerant, be sure they get 6 inches of water through the growing summer. Bush habit, 90 days. 100 seeds.

GROWING TIP: All legumes benefit from "inoculating" with rhizobacteria. These bacteria do the work of taking gaseous nitrogen from the air and "fixing" or concentrating it in pink root nodules which then slough off, adding nitrogen to the soil in a form other plants can take up as a nutrient. Inoculating your beans and peas will increase germination, and the health of your plants, helping them growing large roots and thus healthier plants. Growing pole beans with corn provides an extra shot of nitrogen to the corn, a wonderful natural symbiotic relationship that the Native Americans understood very well. You will see a big difference in overall results. Healthy legumes should also be turned under the soil when production ends as they are excellent green manure for your next crops.