[Katt]

hey guys im currently chitting some broad beans....but me and my boyfriend are having a dispute about how it the best way to go about it!!...I think they should go on a saucer in a little water thats topped up daily...and he says they should be in a bowl completely emmersed in water!!...heeeeeelp meeeeeeee whos right??!!!

[Heather_S]

chitting ... broad beans ... I didn't think anyone did that, you just plant the things.

[Phoenix]

Ye i just plant mine, but if i was to do it ur way i would fully immerse them for 24 hrs

[Heather_S]

I looked up some stuff now. You can soak them for 24hs or overnight. That helps germination. I think if you leave them in water for longer than that, you might possibly drown the seeds. Think of how they'd be if left in soggy mud for more than a day!

[GrannieAnnie]

I just planted my first lot of broad beans in pots and they are just coming through!

[oggy]

Hi all

I was given BB seeds from my 82 yrs old plot neighbour, ( part of last years crop ) and advised to plant out in Feb, this I did, and despite the weather they are 2 to 3 ins up.
No help , just left them to it.

oggy

[Phoenix]

Mine are about 5 inchs now and they r a week old lol my peas r doing great so r the runners They r in pots in my propagator tho so that helps abit lol

[flowerofshona]

As i was so ill this winter i did all my BB and peas in root trainers and had 100% germantion in warm greenhouse and they are in the lottie and doing really well i would recomend this way to anyone its brilliant !!    
We did put some BB in the plot in November and had very poor germanation and they dont look happy.
Never heard of 'chitting' BB's but hey go for it

[Victoria Plum]

I've got several old seed packets - 2 years old roughly. I've sown them (last weekend) and they're in a propogator. My question is, how long do I wait before I give up on them?

I've sown tomatoes, chillis, basil, courgettes and french beans. I've also sown broad beans in 3" pots - but I can't fit them in the propogator so they're on the window sill of an unheated conservatory.

One of my new allotment friends suggested starting seed for beans, sweetcorn, peas etc. in a tupperware box with damp kitchen towl above and below the seeds. I've done this and left it on a warm window sill and all the sweetcorn seeds (also about 2 years old) have germinated. I guess I now have to plant them. Was going to put them in newspaper tubes with compost in as I've read that they don't like root disturbance - any comments anyone?

Have also cheated slightly and bought 15 broad bean plants at 10p ago at a local nursery run by adults with special needs - lots of other bargains to be had there so I'll be back to see them again!

[John]

How long to wait depends on the seeds - they all have different germination times.

Chitting (pre-germinating) seeds is sometimes worth it but I wouldn't bother with most things. Sweetcorn, seems a good idea as it is often a pain.

I tried the toilet roll inners for sweetcorn and it was a disaster. I'm told I should have kept them damper but I find 3" pots work pretty well for me. So I stick to what works (usually)

Well done for supporting the nursery.