Improving the germination rate of French beans

[Nature's Babe]

Primrose, I plant my beans in loo rolls, they stand tall in a tray and fill to the required depth with compost place bean seeds then top with more compost. because the rolls stand tall any overwatering sinks down and they never damp off, I never use a propogator either, they transplant well without root disturbance in their jackets.

[Myrkk]

Thanks John, I took them out of the propagator last week and put them outside... they looked so bad I figured they're dead anyway... one or two are looking like they might be picking up a bit.. fingers crossed.

And here was me thinking that french beans were one of the easier things to grow...

[bubble-gum]

I'm never very successful at getting a good germination rate with my French beans (dwarf or climbing) and this year am trialling putting them on damp kitchen tissue for a while before putting the into compost to see if they will start sprouting. In previous years my seeds have often rotted in the compost & I never seem to get the moisture level quite right.

Has anybody tried this and does it work? Or do you have any other tips on how I can improve my germination rates?

We have had problems too with seeds rotting(french beans,sweetcorn and courgettes) which we sowed early in the house over a heat panel a week ago so will have to be patient and sow when its warmer. Can you buy heat panels or such like to put in the soil to keep warm? seem to remember Dick Strawbridge doing something in a greenhouse? Oh and just to let you know we grow in a polytunnel so not to confuse you.any info is welcomed

[peter]

Soil warming cable used to be the solution.

Easier nowadays to buy a lidded, heated propagator, Wilkinsons do one that hold four standard seed trays.

[PLUMPUDDING]

Why not wait a bit for the weather to warm up, they will be much more likely to germinate and shouldn't rot. The second half of April is quite soon enough to sow both sweetcorn and beans.

[Ricard with an H]

Another very interesting thread, last year was my very-first at growing beans of any type. French bush beans were my choice and I started them on wet kitchen roll underneath cling-film as a result of a recommendation from this forum. Isn't this a way of proving the seed so you don't plant duds ?

Both my first and second sowings sprouted nicely then the first failed in the raised bed because of wind damage. Second lot planted much later in July and they were OK. Can you remember that I thought my soil was contaminated from the cow-poo, it was just too cold for them and we get salty wind, hopefully next year won't be a problem with wind after my hedges grow.

This year, the same seeds didn't germinate at all so I guess my shed must have dropped below 10 degrees which is unusual.

I'm waiting another month this year, I get all-emotional at failures.

EDIT

I just remembered, last year I started my beans off in the boiler cupboard.