How to Grow Beans in Cotton

Co-authored by Olivia Choong

Last Updated: February 27, 2022 References

Growing beans in cotton is a fun experiment that you can use to teach kids how plants grow, or that you can use to start seeds for your garden. Use a cup or jar to hold your cotton balls, then add beans, water, and sunlight to make your beans sprout. Once the plants have spouted, you can transfer them to the ground to keep growing.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Sprouting the Beans in Cotton

1
Choose the types of dry beans you want to grow. You can grow any type of dry bean using cotton balls. Purchase a packet of bean seeds if you want instructions for how to grow them in the ground after they sprout, or use any type of whole, dry beans if you just want to experiment.^{[1]
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- To keep the plant compact, opt for a bush bean plant. This will not require a trellis or pole to support it and it will only grow to about 2 ft (0.61 m). If you opt for pole beans, then the vine may grow to 15 ft (4.6 m), so it will need plenty of room to climb.^{[2]
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2
Soak the beans in water overnight to speed up the growing process. Place the beans into a bowl or cup and fill it with water. Then, let the beans soak in the water at room temperature overnight. This will help to soften up the outer shells of the beans and make it easier for the plants to sprout.^{[3]
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- Don’t use hot water as this could partially cook the beans. Use cool or lukewarm tap water.
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3
Fill a plastic cup or glass jar about 3/4 full of cotton balls^{[4]
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Expert Source

Olivia Choong
Plant & Gardening Specialist
Expert Interview. 3 September 2021.}. Don’t pack the cotton balls down. Keep them loose in the cup or jar. Fill it until the topmost cotton balls are about 1–2 in (2.5–5.1 cm) from the top of the jar or cup.^{[5]
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- You can also place the beans into plastic baggies if you don’t have any cups or jars to use.^{[6]
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  Olivia Choong
  Plant & Gardening Specialist
  Expert Interview. 3 September 2021.} However, you’ll have to transfer the bean sprouts to a jar, plastic cup, or the ground once they run out of room.^{[7]
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4
Moisten the cotton balls with water so they are just damp.^{[8]
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Expert Source

Olivia Choong
Plant & Gardening Specialist
Expert Interview. 3 September 2021.} Drizzle about ¹⁄₈ to ¹⁄₄ c (30 to 59 mL) of water over the cotton balls to wet them. Don’t add too much water, as the beans might rot and not sprout.^{[9]
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Expert Source

Olivia Choong
Plant & Gardening Specialist
Expert Interview. 3 September 2021.} Only add enough to moisten the cotton balls without excess water in the bottom of the cup.^{[10]
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Tip: If you accidentally add too much water, pour it out while holding onto the cotton balls so they don’t fall out of the cup.
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Space 2-3 beans 1 in (2.5 cm) apart on an indentation in the cotton. Poke your finger into the cotton to make a shallow indentation for the bean seed to rest in. Make 2 to 3 indentations per cup that are 1 in (2.5 cm) apart from each other. Place the beans just on top of the indentations in the cotton. Don’t push them down into the cotton or burrow them inside of a cotton ball.^{[11]
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- Don’t try to sprout more than 3 beans per cup as they will not have enough room to grow.
6
Place the beans in a sunny spot for 30 minutes per day and a well-lit area the rest of the time.^{[12]
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Expert Source

Olivia Choong
Plant & Gardening Specialist
Expert Interview. 3 September 2021.} The beans will need to get 30 minutes of bright sunlight each day and then you can transfer them to a well-lit spot that is not in direct sunlight for the rest of the day. This is important since too much sunlight can stop the seeds from sprouting.^{[13]
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- Do not place the beans in a dark place, such as a cupboard.
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Water the beans when the cotton starts to get dry.^{[14]
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Expert Source

Olivia Choong
Plant & Gardening Specialist
Expert Interview. 3 September 2021.} In warm temperatures, you may need to do this every 2 days, and in cold temperatures, you may only need to water them 2 times per week.^{[15]
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- If the beans don’t sprout, this may be because they are not getting enough sunlight or because the cotton is too dry or too wet.
8
Watch for the beans to sprout after about 3 days. The beans should start to sprout by this point, but if not, keep watching them for a few more days. If nothing happens within 1 week, start over with new beans.^{[16]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Transferring the Plants to Soil

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Plant the sprouts and cotton in soil when they're 8 in (20 cm) tall. Measure the bean plants once per week to track their growth. They’re ready to transfer when they are 8 in (20 cm) tall. Keep the bean sprouts with the cotton you planted them in when you are ready to transfer them to the ground.^{[17]
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- Do not separate the bean roots from the cotton or you may kill the plants.
Tip: It is possible to continue growing the bean seeds in cotton only, but they may grow more slowly and they may not get as big as they would by transferring them to soil.^{[18]
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2
Space bush beans 3 to 4 in (7.6 to 10.2 cm) apart with 2.5 to 3 ft (0.76 to 0.91 m) between rows. Use a ruler or tape measure to check the distances. Dig the holes deep enough so that they will cover the cotton and bean roots completely. Then, transfer each of the bean plants and cotton to one of the holes. Cover the cotton with about 1 in (2.5 cm) of soil.^{[19]
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- Spacing the beans too close together may cause them not to grow, so make sure that they are at least 3 in (7.6 cm) apart.
3
Plant 6 pole beans around poles spaced 3 to 4 ft (0.91 to 1.22 m) apart. Make a mound of dirt and then thrust a 6 to 8 ft (1.8 to 2.4 m) tall pole through the center of it. Plant the 6 bean plants in a circle around the pole so that each plant is equidistant from the pole—about 6–8 in (15–20 cm) from it—and the other plants. Dig the holes deep enough to cover the cotton and bean roots completely. Then, transfer each of the plants to the holes and cover the cotton with about 1 in (2.5 cm) of soil.^{[20]
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4
Water the beans once per week in dry weather or when the soil is dry. Right after you first plant the beans, water them well. Then, check the beans on a weekly basis or more often in very hot, dry weather. If it rains, you can skip watering them for up to 1 week, so check the weather forecast often.^{[21]
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- You can check the soil by inserting your finger 1 in (2.5 cm) into it next to a bean plant. If it feels dry, it’s time to water the plants.
5
Fertilize the soil around the plants with a 10-20-10 fertilizer. Spread the fertilizer over the soil around the plants and between the rows. Use 2 to 3 lb (0.91 to 1.36 kg) of fertilizer per 10 by 10 ft (3.0 by 3.0 m) area of earth. Mix the fertilizer in with the top 3 to 4 in (7.6 to 10.2 cm) of soil around the plants.^{[22]
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- You can purchase 10-20-10 fertilizer in a home improvement store or nursery.
6
Pick the beans when they are ready to harvest. Tug gently to remove the beans from the plant so that you do not damage it. The plant may continue to grow beans after the first harvest. The amount of time it takes for the beans to be ready will depend on the type of beans you are growing, so check your seed packet if you’re unsure.
- For example, green beans are ready when they are about the size of a pencil. Be careful not to let the beans get any bigger than this as they will become tough and stringy.^{[23]
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Expert Q&A

Question

Can beans grow on cotton?

Olivia Choong
Plant & Gardening Specialist
Olivia Choong is a Plant and Gardening Specialist and the Owner of The Tender Gardener. With more than six years of experience, she specializes in gardening, permaculture, and self-sufficient and low-impact living practices. Her work has been featured in media outlets such as The Straits Times and Channel NewsAsia (CNA). Olivia holds a Bachelor of Mass Communications in PR and Journalism from Murdoch University.

Olivia Choong

Plant & Gardening Specialist

Expert Answer

Definitely! Beans can grow on cotton as long as long as you keep the cotton moist and not wet. Just keep in mind that the beans might take longer to sprout if they have a thicker seed coat.
Question

Do I have to soak the cotton?

Community Answer

No. The cotton should be moist, but not soaked. Too much water can kill the plant.
Question

Should I put the seed at the side of the cotton or on top of the cotton?

Community Answer

Put the seed on top of the cotton, so that the beans do not struggle to grow.