[alancas]

can anyone help?i have planted 2nd lot of French beans in pots only 1 out of 35 grew,repotted another load 2 weeks ago and not one grew all potted in miracle compost any ideas why? thanks.

[Yorkie]

Indoors or outdoors?

How wet is the compost?

New bean seeds?

It's been a beast of a year for beans - I'm on my 3rd sowing...

[alancas]

thanks they are in green house compost is moist

[Yorkie]

Well unless the compost is too moist, perhaps try a different compost?

It's getting a little late now for climbing beans to produce much, but you might want to try dwarf French beans - they are quite prolific (if you can get the wretched things to germinate!  )

[JayG]

Bean seeds are large and can easily rot before they germinate if it's too cold or too wet - at this time of year it's likely that they were just too wet for too long.

Something around a 6 hour soak (optional!) followed by sowing in compost, watering well, and then not watering again until the compost is nearly dry seems to produce the best results for me for both French and Runner beans.

[mumofstig]

I had no success with sowings in plain compost, tried another packet of seeds in compost with the same result.

I did have success when I mixed some soil with the compost.............. something to do with microbes in the soil helping germination, it seemed to work.

I read it somewhere, but can't find a link to the info atm.

[Totty]

Direct sown seed at this time of year will often give better results than starting in pots and transplanting later.

Totty

[al78]

Direct sown seed at this time of year will often give better results than starting in pots and transplanting later.

Totty

Providing you can keep the pests away.

[Goosegirl]

I'm trying Miracle Grow compost for the first time - it's the one with feed and watering granules - and have found it rather good. If your's was just the ordinary one, then it could be due to too much water when sowing. Beans seem to like it just "damp to the finger" though there have been a lot of germination problems this year.

[bravemurphy]

I did mine with a hand full of damp compost in a sip n seal bag in a warm place, it worked great.