Beans and peas are the easiest seeds to save. The seeds are large, the pods dry on the plant, and the flowers of French beans and peas mostly pollinate themselves before they even open, so the next generation comes true to type. Save a handful from your best plants this year and you have next year's sowing in a jar, adapted a little more to your garden every season.
This guide covers which beans and peas to save from, when the pods are ready, how to dry and store the seed, and how to keep pests out of the jar. For the basics of seed saving across all crops, see our seed saving guide.
- Easiest French beans and peas: self-pollinating, little crossing
- Harvest when the pods are dry, papery and the seeds rattle
- Dry a further 1–2 weeks indoors until seeds are hard
- Store cool, dark and dry; viable for about three years
Which beans and peas to save from
Save seed only from open-pollinated, heritage or named varieties. Seed from F1 hybrids does not come true: the plants that grow from it are a mix of the parents. Our guide to heirloom vs F1 seeds explains the difference.
How much care you need to take depends on the crop. French beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) and peas (Pisum sativum) rarely cross, so a few metres between varieties is enough for home use. Runner beans and broad beans are different: bees carry their pollen from flower to flower, so different varieties cross readily. Grow just one variety of each if you want to save seed that stays true, or accept a little variation.
When are the pods ready?
Leave the pods you want for seed on the plant long after you would pick them to eat. Mark them with a twist of wool so they are not harvested by mistake. They are ready when the pods have turned pale and papery, or brown and leathery for broad beans, and the seeds rattle inside. This usually takes six to eight weeks after the pods reach eating size, so plan to stop picking from a few plants by late summer.
If autumn turns wet before the pods are dry, pull up the whole plants and hang them upside down in a dry shed or greenhouse to finish ripening.
- Choose your best plants Save from healthy, productive plants with typical pods. Avoid any that bolted early or showed disease.
- Let the pods dry on the plant Wait until the pods are papery and the seeds rattle. Pick on a dry day.
- Shell and spread out Pop the seeds from the pods and lay them in a single layer on a tray or paper, somewhere warm and airy.
- Dry for another one to two weeks The seed is dry when a fingernail leaves no dent and a bean shatters rather than squashes when hit with a hammer.
- Freeze, then store Put fully dry seed in the freezer for two to three days to kill any bean weevil eggs, then let it return to room temperature before packing.
Beans and peas compared
Easy to keep true
Self-pollinating; a few metres apart is enough.
- French beans: dwarf, climbing and borlotti
- Peas, mangetout and sugar snaps
- Ideal first seeds to save
Cross easily
Pollinated by bees; grow one variety to keep it pure.
- Runner beans
- Broad beans
- Save from at least six plants to keep the variety vigorous
Storing saved seed
Pack the seed in paper envelopes labelled with the variety and year, then keep the envelopes in an airtight jar or tin somewhere cool, dark and dry. A sachet of silica gel or a spoonful of dry rice in the jar helps absorb moisture. Stored like this, bean and pea seed stays viable for about three years. Not sure if an old batch is still good? Our guide on how long seeds last includes a simple germination test.
Common mistakes
- Saving from F1 hybrids. The next generation will not match the parent plant.
- Picking pods too early. Green pods give seed that is not fully formed. Wait for dry, rattling pods.
- Storing seed before it is fully dry. Damp seed goes mouldy in a jar.
- Skipping the freeze. Bean weevil larvae can hatch in store and hollow out the seed.
- Forgetting labels. Saved beans all look similar by spring. Label everything.
Frequently asked questions
Can I save seed from shop-bought dried beans?
Sometimes, but they may be from varieties unsuited to your climate or treated for storage. Saving from plants you have grown yourself is more reliable.
Will my runner beans come true from saved seed?
Only if no other runner bean variety flowered nearby, because bees cross them easily. Growing one variety is the simplest solution.
How many plants should I save from?
For peas and French beans, a few plants is fine. For runner and broad beans, save from at least six plants to keep the variety healthy.
How long do saved bean and pea seeds last?
About three years if kept dry and cool, often longer. Test old seed before sowing.
One jar of saved seed is a year's sowing. Browse pea seeds, French beans, runner beans and broad beans, see the full seed shop, or explore the rest of our growing guides.
