Lentil

Lens culinaris

grainannual Zone 3–8

Lentil (Lens culinaris) is a cool-season annual pulse grown for its protein-rich edible seeds. A bushy, semi-erect legume reaching roughly 12-20 inches tall, it fixes atmospheric nitrogen and is valued both as a food crop and as a soil-building rotation crop ahead of cereals. Adapted to temperate and semi-arid regions across roughly Zones 3-8, lentil is direct-seeded in early spring as soon as soils can be worked and matures in about 80-110 days. It is notably drought-tolerant, performs on 10-20 inches of growing-season moisture, and tolerates soils from pH 6.0-8.0, including calcareous and alkaline ground. It does best on well-drained loam and is sensitive to waterlogging, salinity, and heat stress during flowering.

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Crop Snowflake Score

Overview

Lentil (Lens culinaris) is a cool-season annual legume in the family Fabaceae, grown as a pulse for dry edible seed. Plants are bushy and semi-erect, typically 12-20 inches tall, and fix atmospheric nitrogen in symbiosis with Rhizobium leguminosarum, making lentil a valuable rotational crop ahead of cereals. The crop is direct-seeded in early spring as soon as soils can be worked, because seedlings tolerate light frost; typical seeding is about 1-2 inches deep at populations near 10-12 live plants per square foot. Maturity ranges roughly 80-110 days depending on cultivar and season. Lentil is well adapted to cool, semi-arid conditions and is notably drought-tolerant, but it is sensitive to waterlogging, salinity, and extreme heat during flowering. It performs across soils of pH 6.0-8.0, including calcareous and alkaline ground, and does best on well-drained loam. Seed is harvested once pods and stems have dried; the crop is low-growing and prone to harvest losses, so even, firm seedbeds and timely cutting or desiccation matter. Major constraints include root rots (Aphanomyces, Fusarium), ascochyta blight, anthracnose, sclerotinia white mold, and weed competition during slow early growth. Nitrogen fertilizer is generally unnecessary when seed is properly inoculated; phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur are matched to soil tests.

Growing Season

Plant: Early spring, as soon as the soil can be worked – Mid-spring
Harvest: Mid to late summer – Late summer to early fall
Frost-free days: 80+

Yield

Typical yield: 1,200 lbs/acre
Productive lifespan: 1 years
Years to full prod.: 1

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