I really don't know how I managed to kill them all this time...

[HeyWayne]

Sure it wasn't an early April fools trick played by the OH?

[mrshopeful]

I'm glad one of the deaths wasn't your fault

Please don't give up, I'm totally new to growing things as well and have so far managed to kill a load of cauliflower and cabbage seedlings (first by being too dry then by being too wet) and I think a few chilli seedlings may have biten the dust as well so I understand your frustration but it's a big learning curve for us novices, we'll get there in the end and hopefully learn from our mistakes. Good luck with the rest of your seeds.

[Alice]

Don't give up Nickerly, it's all a learning curve.
When I plant seeds I plant them into damp compost (not soaking wet) then put the seed tray /pot into a freezer bag and clip it closed. They stay in there until they germinate. The bag stops the compost drying out so I don't have to water them.

About your beans - if you're planning to grow them indoors (in a conservatory or something) you can replant them now, but I would just them straight into a big pot and you won't have to transplant them.
If you want them for outdoors I think you're a bit early, even for London. They're not frost hardy. I won't be planting mine til mid May then I'll sow them straight in the ground. They come up fast and get big quickly.
Good luck.

[BumbleB]

Its great to read all of the advice for us newbies, I keep trying different places for germination, moving on etc and trying to remember what likes what, (keeping a notebook, and noteing watchpoints that have been mentioned on the forum)

What I have learnt - should be new thread !

I think I have learnt not to overwater, to water from bottom, to keep even temperature and not have swings of sunshine and radiator then cold nights.

To increase light when seedling emerge, to put on in stages. To harden off well.

Thanks everyone

[Eyren]

I had a disastrous first year on the allotment (two years ago) because nearly everything I sowed straight in the ground was eaten by slugs, and the stuff I sowed at home drowned because it rained faster than the seed-trays drained

The next year was a definite improvement, as I had learnt from my mistakes (though I made new ones, of course) - and this year I am determined to do even better!

I guess what I'm trying to say is that we were all newbies once and made big mistakes - but we live and learn