Too deep too deep...

[Iamhanuman]

I believe that I may have pushed my dwarf french beans too deeply into the soil when I sowed them.
Earlier today I noticed that the soil was raising up on one of the toilet roll tubes I had sown into. No seedlings had appeared after around 10 days, so I was just waiting.

I decided to have a little peek at what was going on and discivered way down the little seedling doing what appeared to be a mammoth task of getting to the surface against all odds!

I out back some of the soil but by no means all, and checked the rest - they all had similar things going on.

Did I sow too deep or have I just needlessly and potentially disasterously disturbed a load of beans doing what beans do?

[SarzWix]

It's what they do, don't worry They'll push the soil out of the way and pop out in their own time

[Lottieval]

I think they are supposed to show in 10 -20 days, I sowed mine in pots in an unheated GH on the 10th and there's no sign of them yet, in spite of the fact that I give them a stern talking to every morning, same goes for my runners too, though I think they can take a little longer.

[Two_Sheds]

I'm chitting mine on kitchen paper (because not all of them germinate, and of those that do, I want to select the biggest and fastest.)

they tend to germinate in 3-7 days (although if they have soil on top you won't see them until a few more days after that).

[Two_Sheds]

I believe that I may have pushed my dwarf french beans too deeply into the soil when I sowed them.

as a guide, think about how the seed would fall from the bush "in the wild". It would only just get covered with soil, it wouldn't get buried

I put large seeds about an inch under, and small seeds only just covered with compost.

[rana]

My personal belief is that guides to seed sowing always suggest depths far too shallow. Apart from tiny seeds I sow at between 5-10 times the seed diameter, so for french beans that's about 3 to 4 inches deep. The seed leaves eventually push through and produce sturdy seedlings.

[coreopsis]

I don't know what's worse-I planted my peas too shallow and they pushed their way up when they were swelling

[Two_Sheds]

My personal belief is that guides to seed sowing always suggest depths far too shallow. ...for french beans that's about 3 to 4 inches deep. The seed leaves eventually push through and produce sturdy seedlings.

Well, if it works for you

Personally, I think a plant wastes a heck of a lot of energy pushing through 4 inches of soil, searching for the light needed to photosynthesise

[rana]

Personally, I think a plant wastes a heck of a lot of energy pushing through 4 inches of soil, searching for the light needed to photosynthesise

The flip side being the potential for a more extensive and deeper root system with which to seek water and nutrients.

[Flummery]

Mine go their own depth in soil (the beans, that is) and they do push a mound up. That's because the halves of a french bean come up either side like seed leaves. They need to shift a fair bit of compost out of their way.

[Lottieval]

Update on my post early this morning - today I have a bean!! No need to go poking around so that 11-12 days from planting in unheated GH. Hoorah. Vive les haricots françaises.

[teakdesk]

My personal belief is that guides to seed sowing always suggest depths far too shallow....so for french beans that's about 3 to 4 inches deep.

Personally, I think a plant wastes a heck of a lot of energy pushing through 4 inches of soil, searching for the light needed to photosynthesise

When I sow beans outside I too sow around 3 inches deep.

I feel that seeds like a constant temperature to germinate and the upper soil temperature changes due to night-time cold air and day-time sun. The temperatures are more stable a bit further down.


On the other hand, when I sow beans in pots they are half to one inch below the compost as they are kept in a more stable temperature inside.

Well, if it works for you

That is an all too often forgotten piece of wisdom for the gardener !!!!!

[snohare]

Really, the only disadvantage to sowing them deep is if they go into soil that will take forever to warm up - the biological processes are initiated by heat, in the presence of moisture.
Apparently most of the work of lifting up through the soil is done by osmosis - the laws of physics, in effect. Someone did a study to see what sort of pushing power green shoots and mushrooms had, as a result of seeing damage to tarmac-ed areas where weeds had come through great thicknesses of supposedly weedproof covering. They found that the cells simply shift a few chemicals around and hey presto suddenly osmotic potential sucks in moisture from all around, inflating the new cells and lengthening the root or stem.
The measured lifting ability of this process was 39 tonnes. The researchers reckoned that there would be some species that were more effective at it.
Suddenly I don't feel too guilty about burying mine deep !

[Iamhanuman]

blimey what a response guys and gals
and what a mixed bunch!!

well I don't seem to have harmed them and in fact they are continuing their journeys
I may just sprinkle a little compost on top of the ones I pretty much uncovered just to make them happier but not bury them too much