French/Runner Beans not germinating

[VegGirl71]

I planted beans a while ago, indoors in a propagator but they got way too leggy so I started again. This time nothing has happened at all....shall i plant them straight in the pot outside?

[littlemoney]

I use a method I was told on here. I soak the beans for an hour, then put them in an air tight plastic container laid on and covered with damp kitchen towel in my airing cupboard. Though it's not that warm there.

After a couple of days some of the beans will be showing a shoot and these I plant the germinated beans in pots/old toilet roll centres. This means I don't waste any effort on seeds that will not germinate.
.
The posts are left on a window cill and about 5-6 days later there is a shoot showing above the compost. Sometimes they don't all grow away but most generally do. I let them get a bit established before hardening off and planting out.

[ameno]

As suggested above, pre-sprouting them somewhere warm is the way to go. They should show growth within 4-5 days at the outside (most will begin to sprout within 3 days if kept at 25c or so).
It may well be that you just have some duff seeds. I've had problems with bad packets of bean seeds in recent years. One pack will germinate almost perfectly, and another will have nothing at all.

[Plot70]

I had poor germination too. I have got about half as many as normal.
I will just put a bit more manure in and see if they will fill the usual space.

[Dorothyrouse]

So far this year,I haven’t managed to germinate one runner bean, first lot rotted so I resowed outside in plastic greenhouse, still not showing, so remainder of packet of seed now on damp kitchen paper in kitchen!

Never had a problem before, strange isn’t it,

[ameno]

So far this year,I haven’t managed to germinate one runner bean, first lot rotted so I resowed outside in plastic greenhouse, still not showing, so remainder of packet of seed now on damp kitchen paper in kitchen!

Never had a problem before, strange isn’t it,

If those were all from one packet then it was probably a bad batch. You should probably take it back and get a replacement (if it was mail order then phone them up. Most of the bigger seed companies are pretty obliging when it comes to refunds and replacements. I've found from experience that you definitely get faster results phoning them than emailing them, though).

[Dorothyrouse]

Yes all from same packet, I’ve checked the second sowing, all have rotted, so I was thinking it was perhaps the compost?

Seem to be having a problem with germination this year.

so I’ll cont seed supplier also, thankyou

[ameno]

Compost shouldn't cause complete failure to germinate like that. Even in very poor compost beans should still at least come up, even if they then stall and even die after that.
Complete germination failure is usually a seed problem.