Plant care
'Borlotto' Beantemperature & humidity
Phaseolus vulgaris 'Borlotto Lingua di Fuoco'
More about 'borlotto' bean
Ideal temperature for 'borlotto' bean
Aim for 16-29°C (60-85°F) on the thermostat and you've handled the easy part. The hard part is the half-metre around the plant: window glass that drops to near-freezing on a January night, a radiator pumping out hot dry air, a draught from an opened front door. Move the plant 30 cm and you've usually fixed the problem. Below roughly 16°C the damage starts — soft blackened patches, translucent leaves, sometimes overnight.
Cold tolerance & winter care
'Borlotto' Bean is frost-tender (USDA Grown as a warm-season annual in zones 3-11 (frost-tender), RHS H2). It cannot survive a frost, so in most of the US and UK it lives indoors year-round or summers outside and comes back in well before the first autumn frost — once nights drop toward 10-12°C is the cue, not the first frost warning. Acclimate it over a week when moving between indoors and out so the leaves do not shock.
Humidity for 'borlotto' bean
'Borlotto' Bean sits happiest at around 40-65% relative humidity. Ordinary garden humidity suits it. Dry, airy conditions during the drying phase are ideal; persistent damp encourages mould on ripening pods. The usual low-humidity tell is crisp brown leaf tips and edges while the soil moisture is fine — a sign the air, not the watering, is the problem. If you need to raise it, the reliable methods are grouping plants together, standing the pot on a tray of damp pebbles (the pot above the waterline, never in it), or running a small humidifier in winter when indoor heating dries the air most. Misting is the least effective — it raises humidity for minutes, not hours.
'Borlotto' Bean temperature & humidity — frequently asked questions
What temperature is best for 'borlotto' bean?
'Borlotto' Bean grows best between 16-29°C (60-85°F). Keep it out of cold draughts, off freezing windowsills in winter, and away from the hot dry air directly above radiators — the extremes matter far more than the average room temperature.
How cold can 'borlotto' bean tolerate?
'Borlotto' Bean starts to suffer below roughly 16°C. It is frost-tender and will be damaged or killed by a frost, so bring it indoors once nights fall toward 10-12°C.
What humidity does 'borlotto' bean need?
'Borlotto' Bean prefers about 40-65% relative humidity. Ordinary garden humidity suits it. Dry, airy conditions during the drying phase are ideal; persistent damp encourages mould on ripening pods.
How do I raise humidity for 'borlotto' bean?
Group it with other plants, stand the pot on a tray of damp pebbles (kept above the waterline), or run a small humidifier in winter. Misting only helps for a few minutes, so it is the weakest option for a plant that genuinely needs more humidity.
Can 'borlotto' bean live outside?
'Borlotto' Bean is rated for USDA zone Grown as a warm-season annual in zones 3-11 (frost-tender) and RHS hardiness H2. Outside that range it must come indoors before the first frost — treat any outdoor stint as a summer holiday, not a permanent home.
More 'borlotto' bean care
In the UK? Keeping 'borlotto' bean warm in a UK home covers the radiator, single-glazing and heating-season humidity angle. Temperature and humidity are one piece. See the full 'borlotto' bean care guide, its cold-hardiness guide, and watering schedule — humidity and watering problems are easy to confuse.