French Beans

[nick the grief]

Just to dispell any myths (or mythsters) that I'm a complete know it all, it is coming around to the time to sow French Beans. This is my achillies heel, no matter what I do I can't get the little buggers to grow! They usually rot off for me. I've tried the damp paper method, sowing them in dry compost everything. I thbink part of the problem maybe the age of the seed, so I have been put & bought (yes, bought) a brand new packet of seed (The Prince) to try them yet again. Any tips will be greatfully recieved.

Worried of Warwickshire

[andrewo]

Water the soil first and grow in 3"-5" pots, one seed to each and push down an inch, then cover with a propagator, as soon as they sprout transfer to greenhouse or warm coldframe. Go for climbing varieties as they are less of a problem, make sure the compost is well watered before planting, do not water until they appear. They also do well in loo rolls.

[nick the grief]

I try that Andrew, I know they don't like the compost too wet. I've got some climbers as well nut we like 'The Prince' & as it's not an F1 I can save the seed for next year - Winner!!

[andrewo]

You can also try when you are digging them in, creating a compost trench, plenty of rotting veg and paper and then soil over the top - you can also dig in hops as they retain moisture but don't sodden the roots.

[nick the grief]

I've got the largest pile of poo you can imagine Andrew! Compost isn't a problem. I'm OK once the litle buggers germinate, It's just getting them going that I have troubles with

[Lesley Jay]

Nick I don't know why you have problems with french beans. All I do is fill cells with compost, put one bean on top of the compost filled cell and push the bean into the compost. Make sure there is some compost over the bean and then water.

[andrewo]

If you have troubles, it could be the seed is too old, they don't last forever and spoil quickly.

[nick the grief]

Thats what i was fast concluding Andrew. Hence I bought some new seed. I'll see how it goes this time. These are the only things I have trouble with. I sowed some Parsley a week ago and thats thru already, my grandma always said it had to visit the devil 7 times before it would come up!

[nick the grief]

Hi LJ,

I do exactly the same with my runner beans & they are fine. It must be because I hate the french

[andrewo]

Thats what i was fast concluding Andrew. Hence I bought some new seed. I'll see how it goes this time. These are the only things I have trouble with. I sowed some Parsley a week ago and thats thru already, my grandma always said it had to visit the devil 7 times before it would come up!

Dwarf can be a problem, I stick to the climbers, Sultana and Blaudhilde

[andrewo]

Blauhilde can be bought at:
http://www.organiccatalog.com/catalo...oducts_id=1152

And Sultana at:
http://www.fothergills.co.uk/en/clim...ltana-307.aspx

[smallblueplanet]

Gonna try beans in rootrainers this year - normally start them in big yoghurt pots, never a problem, but I'm a suckers for gadgets....

We thought Blue Lake the bees knees when in Derbyshire, but they don't like the soil quite so much here....so we do Blauhilde too, good fresh or as beans and Goldfield (very good) and Borlotto di Fuocco (sp?).

Beans are easy

Oh just remembered we were late doing them the first year here, and I read something about starting them on a dinner plate on damp kitchen roll - worked, some sprouted in about four days and then we planted them out - a way to check out your old seeds too.

[andrewo]

Love the fact when you cook blauhilde they go from dark purple to a lovely green and you know they are cooked (they are great in salads and fantastic in paella and risotto). The only root trainers I use are loo rolls. Free and breakdown well in the soil.

[poultrychat]

Sorry ntg, but I just bung 'em in a pot and they grow, no special treatment at all and that's the dwarf french beans, last year i also put seed in the ground and again not a problem.

[nick the grief]

No probs PC, I think its the seed that is too old (can't remember when I got it!