Planting Guide and Seed Saving Notes for Job's Tears

Job's Tears (Coix lacryma-jobi)

Hearty plants are easy to grow, requiring full sun, and moderate water and fertilizer to produce a good crop of beads.The grains make perfect beads, because they grow with a ready-made hole down the center that just takes a gentle poke with a needle to make it ready to string.This is a unique opportunity to grow your own art supplies!

Bed Preparation

Job’s Tears is grown as a frost sensitive annual in temperate regions. Job’s Tears prefers full sun and tolerates a wide variety of soils. Provide moderate soil moisture and fertilizer for optimal growth.

Planting

Job’s Tears can be direct seeded outdoors once the danger of frost has passed. Seeds can also be started indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost. Soaking seeds overnight may improve germination rates.

Harvest

Harvest “beads” (seeds) in approximately 110 days after planting.

How to save Job's Tears Seeds

Allow to dry on the plant as much as possible, harvesting the darkest beads as they begin to mature. In general, the darkest beads are the most viable. Lay out to dry for another two weeks before storing.