Step-by-Step Growing Guide
Lentils (Lens culinaris) are cool-season legumes that thrive in well-drained, light sandy-loam to clay-loam soils at pH 6.0–8.0 — they are far more tolerant of alkaline conditions than most crops. Prepare beds by working in a small amount of superphosphate or bone meal; avoid nitrogen-rich fertilizers as lentils fix their own. Inoculate seeds with a specific Rhizobium lentil inoculant before sowing for maximum nitrogen fixation, especially in soils that have not grown legumes recently. Direct sow in early spring as soon as soil can be worked (soil temperature 7–15°C), 2–3 cm deep and 5 cm apart in rows 30–45 cm wide. Lentils are drought-tolerant once established but need consistent moisture during germination and pod fill. A pre-plant irrigation and one mid-season irrigation in very dry climates is typically sufficient. Avoid high-nitrogen soils, which encourage leafy growth at the expense of pod set.