Getting good bean germination

Need to know the best time to plant?

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Primrose
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Too early to think about sowing beans yet but every year I seem to end up wth a large percentage of failures, never getting the dampness od the compost quite right. Last year I had to resow twice despite having fresh seed so can you please all share your best tips to avoid further frustration.
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Pa Snip
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Last year I treated mine no different to any other year, yet had problems germinating both in greenhouse and out of it.

Around end of June beginning July all came good and the harvest was as good as usual

The danger when people start to believe their own publicity is that they often fall off their own ego.

At least travelling under the guise of the Pa Snip Enterprise gives me an excuse for appearing to be on another planet
robo
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Last year I must have dropped a seed onto the bed in the pollytunnel before I realised what it was it had grown to around five feet high and interwoven with a cucumber and a bush tomato so I left it I got that many beans of one plant I plan to grow half a dozen at the end of the pollytunnel this year
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Primrose
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robo, maybe beans don't like to be lonely and prefer being intertwined with other plants !
I have got a carrier bag of empty loo rolls stored up waiting for the starting signal
sally wright
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Dear Primrose,
when planting bean seeds (I am assuming the non hardy kinds here) there are one or two things that may increase germination. Open the packets now if they are foil packed. Seed suppliers will over dry beans beyond what is natural for the beans. This is done to make them last longer. The thing is that by the time the bean has absorbed enough water to start growing the fungi in the soil have got a head start on rotting out the seeds. By opening the packets in advance this will allow the beans to take on a little atmospheric moisture and become adjusted so they will be able to germinate at their natural speed. If you forget to do this then you can sow the beans in their pots and just wait 24 hours before watering them in.
Always water seeds with fresh tap water; water borne fungi that will be present in rainwater and stored water are the ones which will do for your beans.
Add some sand to your potting mixture; beans need a lot more drainage than you might think.
Water thoroughly when you have sown them and then wait 2-3 days before you do so again.
Do not expect 100% germination from beans; it ain't gonna happen, so sow at least 10-20% more than you think you will need.
Don't sow too early two to three weeks before planting out is quite soon enough.
Don't sow too deeply; the depth of a short fingernail is quite sufficient.
Try to save your own seed; most beans come true from seed and the advantage of this is that you are using genetic material that has already survived your germination regime once. Remember most seeds we buy to grow here are imported from very different climates.

For sowing direct outdoors, if you have forgotto open the packets early and have only opened them on the day of sowing, water the holes before putting in the beans and backfill with dry soil. Before putting in the beans you can clean the outside of the seeds by soaking for a few minutes in a weak solution of bleach (about one teaspoon for a litre of water should be sufficient) or some liquid fungicide this should be long enough to coat the seeds and prevent the fungi from attacking for a few days. Don't bother with this if they have a coating on them already.

Most of these points can also apply to other large seeded plants such as sweet peas, peas, broad beans, sweetcorn, squash, pumpkins, cucumbers etc. In the case of the squash family (cucurbitacae) I would lay the seeds on the surface of the compost and cover them with a 1cm depth of vermiculite as this allows the seeds to receive light which will aid their germination.

Regards Sally Wright.
Monika
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Sally, that's been a really useful reply to Primrose. I have printed it off and put it into my 'allotment file' for the future.
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Geoff
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Like with all my seed sowing I don't water after sowing. I fill rootrainers with compost, water and put them where I am going to germinate to drain and acclimatise for several hours, perhaps overnight. Push the beans into the compost scar down which leaves a bit of a hollow above them, top up with compost from the bag. Put the covers on and leave them to get on with it and don't normally water until they are either up or at least there are signs of movement.
Westi
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Ditto with Monika, Sally!!

Such good advice & knowledge. Your post is a perfectly example of why this forum is so valuable! Hope to see it inside the back cover so all the 'viewers', not 'posters' have the opportunity to have a successful harvest! Might make them continue on if a previous disaster!
Westi
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