[Bigrich]

Wondering if anyone can "top" my Germination rates for climbing French beans

27 modules
1 Germination
 

[mumofstig]

Is the compost as wet as it looks in the photo?

[JayG]

I thought the same thing Mum - I've found runner bean seeds more prone to rot in recent years, especially the white ones for some reason (not so much experience with Frenchies.)

[Bigrich]

Is the compost as wet as it looks in the photo?

Moist, but not sopping - think it's just the photo. In desperation I'd given it a water earlier. Funny as the other beans (runners & borlotti) sown at the same time in the same compost germinated fine (mostly)

[JayG]

Was going to suggest a quick furtle to discover whether the seeds are rotting off, but looking at the modules nearest the camera it looks as if you may have done that already! 

[Bigrich]

I had a rootle around and they were just sitting there.

I've given up and am chitting a load in the airing cupboard instead. Doing the same with some more sweetcorn and seems to be yielding results with that so might become a convert

[mumofstig]

Perhaps in the wet compost it just wasn't warm enough for them to germinate 

[Lardman]

I'll see your 1 and raise you ... none.

This is the second sowing of Kentucky Wonder from PSD in Been and Queued Multi-Purp.  Had much the same with the purple climbing. Im currently doing some spouting tests to rule out the compost / cell trays.

[Bigrich]

I'll see your 1 and raise you ... none.

This is the second sowing of Kentucky Wonder from PSD in Been and Queued Multi-Purp.  Had much the same with the purple climbing. Im currently doing some spouting tests to rule out the compost / cell trays.

Sir, I salute your failure 


And MoS - I'd thought the same, but not sure if I can do any more than an indoor south facing windowsill in May. Some plants are evidently too needy 

[Hampshire Hog]

I will join the zero club .....borlotti beans in root trainers in my conservatory great fat nothing 😰😰😰
Too cold too hot too wet who knows ??😱😱

Cheers HH

[Lardman]

I've had an unusual amount of failures this year with big seeds, peas and beans etc which hasn't been an issue previous years.

Im not convinced about the compost quality or seed viability yet. Last years spring onion trials were enough to convince me about dead seeds, even across suppliers.

[Fairy Plotmother]

Perhaps in the wet compost it just wasn't warm enough for them to germinate 

I think that was my problem! Beans, peas and corn all failed on first try.
Corn ok now (tried chitting for the 1st time  ), have sown some peas direct and will be doing the same for French beans when next convenient.

[Willow_Warren]

I had a disastrous time germinating peppers this year! It's left me short especially of certain varieties, really disappointed!  I blamed the compost!

Hannah 

[LotuSeed]

French climbing beans like warm, and not too wet soil. If the soil isn't warm enough they will sit and rot. Even if conditions are good, it can still take them a while to poke through. I'd ease up on the watering and just keep them warm.

[Steveharford]

My first time trying Blue Lake. A whole packet and two germinated. One of those has now flopped over for no obvious reason and its only an inch high ! Is it too late to try again ? I had them sat in a propogator with no lid so plenty of bottom heat.