[Sleepingpopman]

  Hi Everyone
For the last 5 years I've started my runner beans off in pot noodle tubs (1 in each) in the unheated green house, I've always set 9, even though I only need 6 & every year they've all grown so I've given the spare 3 to the old lady who lived next door but sadly she's not there any more so I only set 6 this year & only 1 has grown (over confident.) which is about 18" tall.
2 weeks ago I set 12 beans outside, 2 at each upright of the munty frame but nothing is showing yet.          How long do they normally take to germinate in open ground & if for any reason they also fail am I too late to set more in the greenhouse in tubs ? I bought these Scarlet Emperier beans from B&Q, there own brand 'Verve' last year & it said on the packet, good for 2 years so should have been ok for this year !! None left now. 
Any suggestions folks. 
Keith

[Ivor Backache]

Should have seen something by now but it depends how deep they were sown. You can always have an exploration to find out,
Not too late, I have just sown my main crop. If you are unsure about the seed I suggest you soak some overnight. Then place between layers of damp kitchen paper and as soon as germination starts plant the seed.
I am trying 3 different varieties as well as my own seed and germination is not good. My own seed have all germinated.

[mumofstig]

I've chitted mine as usual- and agree that germination has not been good this year 

[tangojulie]

Glad it's not just me then - I've had 50% germination from fresh bought seed.

[Steveharford]

Me too tangojulie. Got about nine out of a packet of Wisley Magic which had about 18 to start. However, my aaron purple star, kindly donated by a member of this forum, have all germinated and are growing vigorously.  Maybe the commercial seed wasnt left to ripen adequately? Although, they looked ok to me

[JayG]

The water content of dried beans increases from around 12% to around 35% prior to germination, which means they require a fair amount of water initially, but do seem a bit prone to internal rot if they continue to be kept too wet.

Best advice I can offer is that if you soak them, don't soak them for more than 8 hours/overnight, if you pre-chit don't have the kitchen paper sopping wet, and after sowing give them a good watering at first but don't water again until the compost has nearly dried out. If the temperature is near the ideal of around 20-25C they shouldn't be sitting around doing nothing for long enough to rot.

This year I soaked, chitted, and sowed my saved White Lady seed (which I've been having trouble with in recent years) as per the above - 2 out of 24 seeds failed to chit, and of the 22 sown only one failed to come up, which I rate as a good result. 

[mumofstig]

Home saved seeds seem to have a better germination rate than bought ones, this year 

[beesrus]

Home saved seeds seem to have a better germination rate than bought ones, this year 

How true that is. For some interest I am trying some Moonlight hybrid self fertile runners this year, along with my trusty own seeds. Almost 100% with home seeds, 30% with the Moonlight. Not a good start for the tempermental newcomers... and they weren't cheap either.

[sunshineband]

One of my plot neighbours, who is well into his seventies, was bemoaning those new white seeded sorts don't germinate well, only this morning.

He said only about half of his had come up and he was off to buy some plants  He has never done that before 

[beesrus]

I have to be honest Sunshine, I was very disappointed when the Moonlight seeds arrived. Small and white, more the French gene than the Runner gene. I have a feeling I won't be bothering again, but I have yet to taste them and see how they perform.
I'm off on an anti-Monsanto march and demonstration in Torquay on Saturday. I had better keep quiet on my trying these sort of seeds. 

[sunshineband]

The beans themselves re juicy and taste like runners imho