[brucesgirl]

5 weeks ago the first seeds I planted on my allotment were dwarf french beans. I had already planted some in pots in my garden and they came up really quickly. Nothing happened, then a couple of weeks later nothing had still happened - so at the farmers market I bought dwarf runner beans to put in instead. Now the dwarf french have come up!!!!! Is this a record germination time?? Were they frightened by the dwarf runners? Is this a battle for middle earth??

[DD.]

5 weeks ago the first seeds I planted on my allotment were dwarf french beans. I had already planted some in pots in my garden and they came up really quickly. Nothing happened, then a couple of weeks later nothing had still happened - so at the farmers market I bought dwarf runner beans to put in instead. Now the dwarf french have come up!!!!! Is this a record germination time?? Were they frightened by the dwarf runners? Is this a battle for middle earth??

Is it possible they did come up, but were eaten when you weren't looking?

[little sweetpeas]

How long do Dwarf beens take to germinate? I'm waiting for dwraf bean ' Boston'and what is the kitchen towel approach.

[WG.]

what is the kitchen towel approach.

pre-sprout on damp kitchen towels.  Then plant once root shoots appear

[little sweetpeas]

Many thanks WG

[brucesgirl]

Oh Dave - yes you reminded me - I did plant another lot a couple of weeks later! Do you reckon mice ate the first lot?
I was told to soak the beans in Jeyes Fluid first but forgot - blimey hope its not Alzheimers coming on.

[little sweetpeas]

pre-sprout on damp kitchen towels.  Then plant once root shoots appear

WG - Do I put damp kitchen paper on top of beans as well as underneath?

[WG.]

pre-sprout on damp kitchen towels.  Then plant once root shoots appear

WG - Do I put damp kitchen paper on top of beans as well as underneath?

I don't but it won't hurt.  I tend to use a plastic tub with lid on to hold in moisture.  Keep them in a warm spot inside & they'll sprout within 2 days.  The sprout is a root incidentally ...

[little sweetpeas]

Fab - many thanks

[little sweetpeas]

pre-sprout on damp kitchen towels.  Then plant once root shoots appear

WG - likely to be a silly question but do I have to plant at the same depth as I did when sowing the beans in pots?

For future ref can I sprout any other seads?

[Ann]

My dwarf french beans planted directly into the soil haven't germinated however, if I put them into pots on the window sill they germinate within 3-4 days :?

[WG.]

WG - likely to be a silly question but do I have to plant at the same depth as I did when sowing the beans in pots?

For future ref can I sprout any other seads?

Yes.

All beans, all peas, sweet peas, sweetcorn.

[Jeanieblue]

Is this a record germination time?? Were they frightened by the dwarf runners? Is this a battle for middle earth??

Are you sure you were even handed with the Mordor - maybe you gave one lot mor dor than the other ??  My Blue Lake beans on the allotment are coming along much slower than the runner beans up the garage wall. Wasn't sure if it's a case of location, location, location or just the difference between the strains.

[little sweetpeas]

Now the dwarf french have come up!!!!! Is this a record germination time?

I sowed 52 dwarf beans in mushroom containers you get from the supermarket and on the third day I had 49 healthy shoots. I spouted another 39 out of 48 on kitchen paper (thanks to WG's advice) these had roots by the end of day two. Once planted I had green shoots on day three.

My runner beans took just over 10 days to show and I sowed them in the same way as above.