Kitchen Garden Forum

I decided I wanted a second row of broad beans and last Wednesday I nicked the seed case opposite the scar to allow ingress of moisture to initiate germination by soaking in water for 8 hours and then laying the seeds flat on 4 layers of kitchen paper in a brown mushroom container covering with another 4 layers of kitchen paper and then watered the container. When well wet I carefully drained out the surplus water. On Saturday there was signs of germination and on Monday they were potted up in 7cm square black pots to grow on the bench outside. I did 90 seeds in all three boxes and all had germinated well simply at kitchen temperature. That is a 30ft triple row. These will in the main go to freezing.
At the end of the first week in May I will do exactly the same process for my Runner Beans but these get potted on into 9cm square black pots but they will be raised in my propagating tunnel not outside and planted out when the weather is right which is the end of the first week in June here normally.
JB.

Sounds like a good result Johnboy

I wish I could achieve similar when attempting to germinate seed in boxes on damp tissue. I obviously do it completely wrong because I've never had anything germinate yet.

Hi Pa Snip,
I find your comment amazing.
I have been pregeminating seeds for many years and have always had good results.
Parsnips have been incredible. Runner Beans certainly have been a great success and by pregerminating and potting up you can tell which plants are the most virile and only plant out those that show the most promise in the early stages.
I live in a part of the country at an elevation of beteen 400ft and nearly 600ft that suffers from late frosts. Last spring frosts here are the end of first week in June and the next frost could be as early asthe last week in August which will nip the top out of the plants.
JB.

Morning Johnboy

It comes as no surprise that you find it amazing, after all I find it difficult to believe I have used so many different seeds attempting this method and have managed 100% failure.

Now you have put it back in my mind I might have another attempt with parsnips later today.

I've tried doing this with parsnips but got a lot of forked roots so use pelleted seed now and wait rather longer.

I was surprised with the sweetcorn that I sowed on 20th all germinating in 3 days.

Yes I'm trying a variety I've not had before from Real Seeds with the aim of saving my own seed if it is as good as they say. I usually grow Lark but that is a hybrid.

Pa Snip wrote:3 Days !!!! wow. Superseed

PLUMPUDDING wrote:Yes I'm trying a variety I've not had before from Real Seeds with the aim of saving my own seed if it is as good as they say. I usually grow Lark but that is a hybrid.

So if the new variety works out it will be fair to say your Lark has been superseded

Pa, ooh you are awful, but I like you

Hi PP,
With your Sweet Corn was this sown in the soil or by pregemination?
JB.

Hi PP,
With your Sweetcorn germination was this by conventional mehtod in soil or by pregemination?
JB.

Sweetcorn was sown in 5 inch deep cell trays in the propagator at 20° directly in compost with no soaking or anything. The cell trays are ones I bought from N.A. Kays years ago and are still going strong. They have 40 cells per tray .

Hi PP,
Do you know what Nigel Kays present business is called? Or better still an e-mail address.

Years ago I ordered a "Top Ten Propagator" and they sent me "Ten propagator Tops" which , rather than send them back, I bought at half price. One of my best buys ever. They resent the correct order.

Regards,
Gerry.

Sorry I don't but I think it was mentioned on here after they had gone into liquidation. I really liked that company and am still using lots of things that I bought from them.

Johnboy - newbee here. Any chance of a sketch to show where to nick the bean seed, and how deep. Just through the skin?

I really want to try this. I'm going an holiday for a few weeks so might need to delay bean growing until mid June, and this might be the best way to speed things up? Not sure it's worth me trying be bore I go at the end of May unless I chuck some seed straight in the grown and see what happens while I'm away.

Thoughts on this would be much appreciated. Would hate to think that we won't be getting beans this year.

Pawty