Sowing climbing beans

General tips / questions on seeding & planting

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Primrose
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I’m so frustrated with myself. I,ve just had to resow my first batch of climbing beans because they rotted despite the mininimum amount of water I thought I’d used on the compost.
This seems to happen to me most years. Does anybody have a magic method please ?
I sow them in compost filled loo rolls.
sally wright
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Dear Primrose,
This is the way I do my beans.
I have some plastic cell trays and I sow 2 runner or 4 French beans per cell,(the cells are about 2 inches square and 24 would go into a standard seed tray). I do not use loo rolls as I find they are full of various moulds and these seem to aid the rotting process. Having the extra depth that loo rolls provide does not seem to make a great deal of difference either. When I plant them out I put them in to the depth of the first seed leaves anyway.

If I were to use standard garden centre composts I would add about 1/4 by volume of sand to the mixture. Beans need a lot of drainage and air in the compost in their early stages.

When I have newly opened foil packets (as opposed to some of the paper ones) I will sow the seeds and then leave them overnight before I start to water them. I have found over the years that if I don't do this then the number of beans rotting off is increased; it helps on most large seeds to allow them this chance to plump up without too much moisture. Squash/marrow/cucumber seeds appreciate this method especially. Do not plant the beans too deep, just below the surface of the compost is fine. I find that about three weeks before planting out is the ideal time to sow my beans so at the moment they are still in their packets.

Regards Sally Wright.
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Primrose is it compost you made yourself or bagged stuff you bought , if it's made your self it might be to strong
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Primrose
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Thanks Sally. Yiu May be right about the loo rolls contributing to the rotting process. i will resow again in cellular trays.
Robo, I,m using commercial multi purpose compost. My home grown compost is usually too rough for seed sowing.
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Primrose I just wondered as I made the mistake last year
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Geoff
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If you are talking about something like Cobra. This year I have sown them in tall pots with three layers of compost; some of my own mix at the bottom, then some Erin multipurpose and a top layer of Clover Professional seed compost. I soak the pots then leave them for a day where I am going to germinate them then push the beans into the top layer and top up with a bit more seed compost. I don't water again apart from misting the surface until they have germinated.
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Primrose
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Gosh Geoff, your seeds are really cosseted! Yes, I am growing Cobra. I suspect your compost soaking and then letting it drain and just misting the surface ftwrwqrda may be a good way of avoiding the rotting. It seems they don’t need much moisture to start going mushy. Do you get good germination rates using this method?? I think part of my problem with beans is that I’m too impatient and having to phase my sowing process over two days would feel frustrating as I like to get jobs ticked off! However if it,s a secret to success, I’ll obviously have to curb my impatience. After all, one day isn,t going to make any difference in the overall scheme of things is it?
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Last year, Sally Wright posted a long answer under "Getting good bean germination" and I printed it off to keep in my "allotment" file - very good advice there, thank you, Sally! Primrose, you can easily find it in the archive.
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Geoff
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I can't remember exactly how good. I sowed 10 pots of 3 beans then potted on 16 and threw some away as I only grow 12 in the polytunnel. I am working my way through a big packet labelled 2013 so doing OK.

PS : should have said I only put my mix in the bottom to save bought compost and I germinate them quickly in the propagator.
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