Lentils are legumes —cousins to beans, chickpeas, soybeans and peanuts. The name “lentil” actually comes from the Latin word for “lens,” which makes sense since the dried bean looks like a little lens. Like many other beans, they’ve been used in cooking for centuries and are thought to have originated in the Near East.
What is the scientific name of lentil?
The lentil (scientific name Lens culinaris ) is a member of the legume plant family and considered an edible, flattened pulse. Lentils grow on bushy annual plants that produce edible, lens-shaped seeds within pods.
When to plant lentil?
Lentils grow best in cool weather. Sow lentils outdoors in spring as early as 2 to 3 weeks before the average last frost date. Lentils can be started indoors 2 to 4 weeks before setting in the garden. Lentil seeds will germinate in 10 days at 68°F . Young lentil plants are frost tolerant/
Lentils require 80 to 110 days to come to harvest.
How do you grow lentils?
This article has been viewed 115,676 times. To grow lentils, sow the seeds in your garden in early spring when the ground temperature is about 40 °F. Choose a sunny spot with well-drained soil and plant the seeds at least 1 inch deep. Plant the seeds in rows, spacing them at least 1 inch apart.
Another popular query is “How to grow lentils?”.
How to Grow Lentils Consider your climate when growing lentils. Lentils prefer well drained soil planted on south or east exposures to better utilize the sun’s warmth and get the little seedlings to erupt. Good drainage is of primary concern, as even short periods of flooded or waterlogged soil will kill lentil plants.
She plants food and flowers in her native Zone 6B . The lentil plant is an annual legume crop divided into subspecies: the cultivated variety ( Lens culinaris), which will be discussed in this guide, as well as its wild relative (Lens orientalis). This member of the legume family (Fabaceae) is a relative of beans.
Lentil sowing season Lentil is sown in the plot directly in seed holesin spring and is harvested in summer . Sprouting is quite swift, since it takes place about 10 days after sowing.
A cool season plant, growing lentil plants are tolerant of spring frosts but not of drought or high temperatures, which will reduce yield .
How far apart do you plant lentils?
Plant the seeds in rows, spacing them at least 1 inch apart. Be sure to water them twice per week and pull out any weeds that grow in the area around them. Lentil plants grow relatively fast — you should be able to harvest your lentils 80 to 100 days after planting the seeds!
What does a lentil plant look like?
Lentils grow on a bushy plant with small, oval-shaped leaves, and tiny flowers. The lentils are found inside small pods, which appear after the flowers have closed up. There are usually two lentils inside each pod, and they are ready to harvest when the pod turns brown and dry.
Each flower produces a short pod that contains two seeds Yield. Plant 4 to 8 lentils per household member. Plant lentils in full sun. Lentils prefer loose, well-drained soil rich in organic matter.
What are the edible lentils?
Lentils are edible seeds from the legume family . They’re well known for their lens shape and sold with or without their outer husks intact. Though they’re a common food staple in Asian and North African cuisines, the greatest production of lentils nowadays is in Canada ( 1 ).
Answer From Katherine Zeratsky, R. D, L. D. Lentils are grouped with beans and peas as part of the legume family because, like all legumes, they grow in pods . Lentils are high in protein and fiber and low in fat, which makes them a healthy substitute for meat.
What are red lentils called in cooking?
Red lentils, also called split lentils or Egyptian lentils, are not really red in color but rather orange. Because their seed coat has been removed, they can cook as fast as in 10 minutesand become very mushy, which makes them ideal for soups.