I’ve found too many differing instructions on growing mayocoba beans. They climb and grow very slowly and they are bush beans which mature very quickly. Has anyone here actually grown them? They are beautiful beans and are rumored to have a fantastic flavor. I found one bag of the dried beans at the grocery and would love to give them a try. Summerville, SC Thank you all. Stay well!
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There are 4 different growth patterns in beans (phaseolus vulgaris). True runner beans grow long climbing runners that need a trellis for best growth. Bush beans are pretty much what they say they are, short bushes typically 3 to 4 feet high. Half runners will climb a trellis but typically max out at about 5 to 6 feet tall. Then we get to an interesting group, western sprawlers. These are beans that produce a runner similar to a pole bean but they do NOT have the trait to climb. These are typically very productive beans grown in arid regions where the sprawling trait is useful. Rio Zappe is an example of a western sprawler.
Mayocoba beans were developed in a breeding program in Mexico about 30 years ago. They were tied up with a patent in the U.S. where an unethical person brought a bag of beans back from Mexico and grew them out for a couple of years, then patented the “yellow” phenotype beans. The patent was eventually broken because the developers of yellow beans in Mexico were able to show that the DNA of the beans under the patent were actually the beans developed in Mexico.
I grew Mayocoba once. It was an odd bush form for me. I think perhaps the original crosses involved bush beans and sprawling beans. The result is a bean that mostly takes the bush phenotype but shows some of the traits of western sprawlers. Grow them as bush beans and see what you think. By the way, they are adapted to a very hot climate and a short day region. I suspect they will show some problems if grown much north of Kentucky in the U.S. Also, Walmart sells them. Look in the ethnic foods section. I keep a pack in the pantry and cook them maybe once a month. Trivia, there may be a few black beans in the packages. They grow and produce black beans instead of yellow but otherwise have the same traits.
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Thank you Fusion _power. I will plant them next spring and hope for a bumper crop! Seedhound.
I planted some Mayacoba this year, from a pkg. of beans I bought at Wal-Mart. They’ve done ok.
Darrel’s description is spot-on. Bush type, less sprawling than some others I’ve grown.
Most productive ‘shell’ bean for me this year is a white marrowfat type, from EFN, bred by Chris Homanics.
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I’m looking forward to growing them next Summer. They must taste fabulous. Thanks for your response. Happy gardening!