Lentil
Lens culinaris
One of the first crops ever farmed, 10,000 years ago; feeds the soil as it feeds you.
Hardiness: zones 4 to 10
Light: full sun
Size: about 1.5 ft tall, 1 ft wide
Harvest: year-round
From: Fertile Crescent
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.
Good for: food, fixing nitrogen in the soil.
Native to: Sahara & Arabian deserts, Mediterranean, South & Southeast Asian tropics. Hardy in zones 4 to 10.
The story
Lentils were among the first crops farmed, about 10,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent, and fed the people of Sumer and Egypt alongside barley. A bowl of lentil stew is still eaten from Iraq and Egypt to India, where dal is a daily food.
Planting
Full sun, drained and not-too-rich soil. Sow in early spring, two to three weeks before the last frost, an inch deep and an inch apart; light frost is fine.
Growing
Lentils fix their own nitrogen and need little care; a few twiggy sticks help the low vines stand up. Water only in long dry spells, and stop as the pods fill.
Harvest and use
Pull the plants when most pods are brown and rattle, dry them, then thresh and winnow the seed. Store dry; cook in soups, dal and stews.
What to watch for
Wet, heavy soil; weeds that outgrow the small plants.
See if Lentil fits your yard
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More annual vegetables, herbs and grains
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home