Dulcina
Phaseolus vulgaris
Wikimedia Commons
The sweet medium-green pods avg. 5 1/2-6 x 3/4", and are borne on large semi-upright plants. White seeds. Plant Variety Protected. Bush bean.
Harvest
53d
Days to harvest
Sun
Full sun
Zones
2–11
USDA hardiness
Height
18-24 inches
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Dulcina in USDA Zone 7
All Zone 7 bean →Zone Map
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Dulcina · Zones 2–11
Growing Details
Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
| Zone | Indoor Start | Transplant | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | — | — | July – August | September – August |
| Zone 2 | — | — | June – August | September – September |
| Zone 11 | — | — | January – March | April – May |
| Zone 12 | — | — | January – March | April – May |
| Zone 13 | — | — | January – March | April – May |
| Zone 3 | — | — | June – July | August – October |
| Zone 4 | — | — | June – July | August – October |
| Zone 5 | — | — | May – June | August – September |
| Zone 6 | — | — | May – June | July – September |
| Zone 7 | — | — | April – June | July – August |
| Zone 8 | — | — | April – May | June – August |
| Zone 9 | — | — | March – April | May – July |
| Zone 10 | — | — | February – April | May – June |
Succession Planting
Direct sow Dulcina every 14–18 days from your last frost date through early June in zone 7, targeting 3–4 plantings total. At 53 days to harvest, a late-May sowing still comes in before August heat peaks. Stop sowing once daytime highs are consistently above 90°F — heat causes blossom drop and pod set falls off fast above that threshold.
The UGA Vegetable Garden Calendar recommends a third planting of snap beans in May, which lines up well here. For a fall run, count back 53 days from your first expected frost (mid-October in zone 7) and direct sow in mid-August — soil is still warm enough for the 7–14 day germination window, and cooler nights tighten up pod quality noticeably.
Complete Growing Guide
Dulcina beans are best started by direct sowing seeds into the garden rather than transplanting, as bean seeds are sensitive to root disturbance and germinate quickly in warm soil. Wait until after your last spring frost date and soil temperatures have reached at least 60°F, ideally 70°F or warmer, before sowing. Plant seeds about one inch deep, spacing them three to four inches apart in rows that are eighteen inches apart. The semi-upright growth habit of Dulcina means the plants will develop a substantial canopy, so don't crowd them—good air circulation helps prevent fungal issues later in the season.
Prepare your planting area by working in compost or well-rotted manure to ensure good drainage and moderate fertility. Beans are nitrogen-fixing plants, so avoid over-fertilizing with nitrogen, which can push excessive foliage at the expense of pod production. A balanced, low-nitrogen fertilizer applied at bloom time is sufficient for most soils. If your soil is genuinely poor, a light application of a 5-10-10 formula when the plants begin flowering will support pod development without compromising yields.
Water consistently, aiming for one inch per week through rainfall or irrigation. During the 53 days to harvest, keep soil evenly moist but not waterlogged—soggy conditions invite root rot and other fungal diseases. Water at soil level in the morning to keep foliage dry. Feed sparingly; excessive nitrogen encourages vegetative growth over bean production, and Dulcina's semi-upright form can become leggy if over-nourished.
Watch specifically for anthracnose and common bacterial blight, diseases that can strike Dulcina if conditions are humid or foliage stays wet for extended periods. These fungal and bacterial pathogens are serious threats to this variety, so maintaining good spacing and avoiding overhead watering is critical. Inspect plants regularly for any dark spots or lesions on leaves or pods. Spider mites and bean beetles can also appear, particularly during hot, dry spells, so monitor undersides of leaves weekly.
Dulcina's semi-upright growth means it typically requires no staking or trellising, though plants can benefit from a light mulch to regulate soil moisture and suppress weeds. One succession planting, made three weeks after the first sowing, will extend your harvest window and ensure a continuous supply of those sweet, medium-green six-inch pods throughout the season.
The most common mistake gardeners make with Dulcina is harvesting too late. Pick pods when they're young and tender, around five and a half to six inches, before the seeds inside begin to swell noticeably. Beans harvested at full maturity become stringy and lose the sweet flavor that makes this variety worthwhile. Regular picking also encourages more prolific flowering, extending productivity well into late summer.
Harvesting
Dulcina reaches harvest at 53 days from sowing per Johnny's Selected Seeds. Expect 3/4" at peak. As an annual, harvest continues until frost ends the season.
The boat-shaped seed pods are bilaterally symmetrical and can be green, yellow, white, or purple at maturity. There is a wide variety of color and shape choices among cultivars.
Color: Gold/Yellow, Green, Purple/Lavender, White. Type: Legume. Length: > 3 inches. Width: < 1 inch.
Garden value: Edible, Good Dried
Harvest time: Fall, Summer
Storage & Preservation
Freshly harvested Dulcina beans store best at 40–45°F in high humidity (85–90%), ideally in perforated plastic bags within a refrigerator crisper drawer. Expect a fresh shelf life of 7–10 days before quality declines. For longer preservation, freezing is ideal: blanch pods for 3 minutes, cool in ice water, drain thoroughly, and pack in freezer bags, lasting up to 8 months. Canning requires a pressure canner due to low acidity; follow tested recipes carefully. Drying whole pods is also effective—air-dry in a warm, well-ventilated space until brittle, then store in airtight containers. Given Dulcina's relatively quick maturity at 53 days, succession planting allows continuous harvest, making fresh use throughout the season practical before resorting to preservation methods. For the best texture in preserved forms, harvest at the tender, immature pod stage rather than waiting for full maturity.
History & Origin
Dulcina is open-pollinated, meaning seed saved from healthy plants will produce true-to-type offspring. Listed in the Johnny's Selected Seeds catalog.
Origin: Tropical America
Advantages
- +Sweet flavor and medium-green pods make Dulcina appealing for fresh market sales
- +Semi-upright plant habit allows easier harvesting compared to fully prostrate varieties
- +Fast 53-day maturity enables multiple succession plantings within a growing season
- +Plant Variety Protected status indicates commercial-grade breeding and consistent quality
Considerations
- -White seeds may have lower market appeal than colored seed varieties
- -Medium pod size limits bulk harvesting efficiency for commercial operations
- -Semi-upright growth still requires staking support in windy locations
Companion Plants
Corn gives Dulcina a windbreak and the two don't compete much below ground — their root zones sit at different depths. Cucumbers share similar water needs without crowding the canopy, so they slot in naturally at the row ends. Radishes sown around the perimeter pull flea beetles away from bean foliage before the beetles get established. Summer savory is the one worth going out of your way for: it has a documented reputation for deterring Mexican bean beetles (Epilachna varivestis), and at 12–18 inches tall it won't shade out a bush bean. Keep alliums — onions, garlic — well away; they release compounds that interfere with the nitrogen-fixing bacteria in bean roots, which is exactly the process that makes legumes worth rotating through a bed in the first place.
Plant Together
Marigold
Repels Mexican bean beetles and aphids, reduces nematode populations
Basil
Deters thrips and aphids while potentially improving bean flavor
Carrots
Loosens soil for bean roots and doesn't compete for nutrients
Corn
Provides natural trellis support for climbing beans
Cucumber
Beans fix nitrogen that cucumbers can utilize, mutual growth enhancement
Nasturtium
Acts as trap crop for aphids and cucumber beetles, natural pest deterrent
Summer Savory
Improves bean growth and flavor while repelling bean beetles
Radish
Breaks up soil and deters bean root fly
Keep Apart
Onions
Can inhibit bean growth and nitrogen fixation by rhizobia bacteria
Garlic
Releases compounds that can stunt bean growth and reduce yields
Sunflower
Produces allelopathic chemicals that inhibit bean germination and growth
Brassicas
Compete for similar nutrients and can inhibit nitrogen fixation in beans
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #2346400)
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
One or more races of Bean Mosaic Virus (High)
Common Pests
Mexican bean beetles, bean aphids, spider mites
Diseases
Bean rust, anthracnose, powdery mildew
Troubleshooting Dulcina
What you'll see, why it happens, and what to do about it.
Leaves with ragged chunks missing, skeletonized patches, or rows of small holes — noticed around weeks 5–7
Likely Causes
- Mexican bean beetle (Epilachna varivestis) — adults and larvae both feed on leaf tissue from the underside
- Bean leaf beetle (Cerotoma trifurcata) — chews round holes straight through the leaf
What to Do
- 1.Check leaf undersides for yellow egg clusters and soft yellow larvae; crush them by hand or knock into soapy water
- 2.Spray with spinosad or neem oil, covering leaf undersides where beetles feed — follow label timing to protect pollinators
- 3.Don't plant beans in the same bed next season; NC State Extension recommends rotating out of all bean-family crops for at least one year to break the cycle
Small reddish-brown pustules on leaf undersides, with yellowish halos on the upper surface — plants otherwise upright and producing
Likely Causes
- Bean rust (Uromyces appendiculatus) — a fungal pathogen that spreads fast in humid conditions above 60°F
- Planting beans in the same bed for multiple consecutive years, which lets spores build up in soil and debris
What to Do
- 1.Remove and trash (do not compost) affected leaves as soon as you spot the pustules
- 2.Apply sulfur-based or copper fungicide at first sign; repeat every 7–10 days if humidity stays high
- 3.At season end, pull all plant debris and move Dulcina out of that bed for at least 2 seasons
Stunted new growth, sticky residue on leaves, and curled leaf edges — sometimes with fine silvery webbing between veins
Likely Causes
- Bean aphids (Aphis fabae) — cluster on new growth and undersides of young leaves, excreting honeydew that attracts ants and mold
- Spider mites (Tetranychus urticae) — thrive in hot, dry spells above 85°F; the silvery webbing shows up between leaf veins before you even spot the mites themselves
What to Do
- 1.Blast aphid colonies off with a firm stream of water from a hose — repeat daily for 3–4 days
- 2.For spider mites, increase soil moisture and spray leaf undersides with insecticidal soap or diluted neem oil; mites hate humidity
- 3.Pull any weeds within 12 inches of the bed — the UGA Vegetable Garden Calendar flags weed competition as a direct driver of pest pressure on beans
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take for Dulcina beans to mature?▼
Is Dulcina a good bean variety for beginners?▼
Can you grow Dulcina beans in containers?▼
What do Dulcina beans taste like?▼
When should I plant Dulcina beans?▼
What makes Dulcina different from other bush beans?▼
Growing Guides from Wind River Greens
Where to Buy Seeds
Sources & References
External authority sources used in compiling this guide.
- BreederJohnny's Selected Seeds
- USDAUSDA FoodData Central
See the Methodology page for how this data is sourced, what's AI-assisted, and known limitations.