Is there a secret to germinating french beans

cooperman · « **Reply #15 on:** May 18, 2010, 23:47 »

I do this - >

(as I have lots of spare seed saved from previous years)

I fill a seed tray with John Innes seedling compost, push in about 50/60 seeds.
Water with a fine rose thoroughly ONCE
Stand in the greenhouse, wait about 10 days
Once seedlings have formed first true leaves tip the lot out and pot up the strong seedlings into individual 3" pots and grow on in the greenhouse till about nowish and plant out if its a warm spring (not this year!) I shall probably plant mine out at the end of the month, no point in doing it too early, believe me once the summer gets well under way they will shoot off and catch up.

Paul Plots · « **Reply #16 on:** May 19, 2010, 00:03 »

Quote from: cooperman on May 18, 2010, 23:47

I do this - >

(as I have lots of spare seed saved from previous years)

I fill a seed tray with John Innes seedling compost, push in about 50/60 seeds.
Water with a fine rose thoroughly ONCE
Stand in the greenhouse, wait about 10 days
Once seedlings have formed first true leaves tip the lot out and pot up the strong seedlings into individual 3" pots and grow on in the greenhouse till about nowish and plant out if its a warm spring (not this year!) I shall probably plant mine out at the end of the month, no point in doing it too early, believe me once the summer gets well under way they will shoot off and catch up.

Sounds good to me!

I've had no problems with dwarf french beans in the past but climbing french beans!!

Hopeless (almost!!).

Tried sowing in paper pots.... 3rd time lucky now and gradually getting some emerging from the compost. Slow and problematic... Too cold? Too wet - maybe

plum crumble · « **Reply #17 on:** May 19, 2010, 11:03 »

mine came up within 2 days of planting on a warm windowsill - I was amazed. These are from the lot sent out by the BBC this year.

Cazzy · « **Reply #18 on:** May 19, 2010, 20:38 »

Thanks everyone, I've just had a read through all your comments and suggestions, I was at the plot yesterday and still no show.

I think it may be a combination of factors, I've been watering them every/other day with the rest of the plants in the greenhouse, sometimes they looked bone dry too.

I'll fish about one of the pots and have a look at the seed but I think i'm going to start some more off at home. Even although the greenhouse is reaching the 30 degree mark at times during the day, the nights here are still pretty cold.

Thanks again for all your input, its been an interesting read.

kermit · « **Reply #19 on:** May 19, 2010, 22:33 »

Quote from: Aidy on May 18, 2010, 09:25

It is generally suggested that you don't chit beans. The reason is in trials the beans that were chitted were more likely to suffer from halo blight. Personally I dont have a problem with germination, as others say, pop them into moist compost and leave somewhere consistantly warm.

Whats halo blight?! I chitted my french beans this year then direct sowed the chitted beans

Paul Plots · « **Reply #20 on:** May 19, 2010, 23:54 »

Halo and other bean blights:-

Lots of information if you google it or try this link from the USA... Bean a problem?

chris23005 · « **Reply #21 on:** May 20, 2010, 04:44 »

Quote from: plum crumble on May 19, 2010, 11:03

mine came up within 2 days of planting on a warm windowsill - I was amazed. These are from the lot sent out by the BBC this year.

Mine were from the BBC too and they did come up amazingly quickly! They HAVE to go out this weekend because they are just getting too unruly now!

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Is there a secret to germinating french beans

cooperman

Re: Is there a secret to germinating french beans

Paul Plots

Re: Is there a secret to germinating french beans

plum crumble

Re: Is there a secret to germinating french beans

Cazzy

Re: Is there a secret to germinating french beans

kermit

Re: Is there a secret to germinating french beans

Paul Plots

Re: Is there a secret to germinating french beans

chris23005

Re: Is there a secret to germinating french beans

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