Bean failures

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Bean failures

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quixoticgeek

Joined: 23 Dec 2008
Posts: 296
Location: Canterbury

Posted: Thu May 30, 13 4:02 pm Post subject: Bean failures

I got a pack of climbing french beans from the real seed co, a variety called "cherokee trail of tears". The instructions on the pack say "Plant seeds direct in the growing site in late april or May in well manured soil."

So, on 12th of May, I planted out a load of the beans as per the instructions.

To date, I have had exactly zero plants come up. The packet says "Packed in 2011" and according to https://www.realseeds.co.uk/seedlife.html they should be good for 3-5 years.

So, do I have a faulty batch of seeds, or have I done something wrong planting them out so soon? Is it a waste of my time starting another batch of these indoors? or should I grab a packet of climbing beans from my local garden center?

Thanks

J

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Thu May 30, 13 4:09 pm Post subject:
Have you dug one up to see? It's cold, so they may be slow. It's cold, so mice might have had them for their tea.

joanne

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 7100
Location: Morecambe, Lancashire

Posted: Thu May 30, 13 4:20 pm Post subject:
I would definitely replant - it has been so cold that I've not even contemplated putting beans in yet!

Bebo

Joined: 21 May 2007
Posts: 12590
Location: East Sussex

Posted: Thu May 30, 13 4:29 pm Post subject:
Have you checked to see that the seed is still there. All beans and peas are loved by mice. They only way we have success with them is to plant them somewhere mouseproof.

MikeM

Joined: 20 Oct 2010
Posts: 76
Location: Devon

Posted: Thu May 30, 13 4:50 pm Post subject:
for things like runners and climbing beans I like to plant in pots as well as in situ as a backup, for the sake of a bit of compost it's a cheap insurance.

Nature'sgrafter

Joined: 22 Feb 2012
Posts: 527
Location: Sanday , Orkney

Posted: Thu May 30, 13 6:48 pm Post subject:
how wet is the soil ? by planting too early the cold combined with wet soil will rot the beans in the ground. If the soil is just cold and not sodden then the beans will come when the ground is warm enough that's if they have not be eaten.

Dreamcatcher

Joined: 04 Apr 2013
Posts: 82
Location: Brechfa Forest

Posted: Thu May 30, 13 7:45 pm Post subject:
I've had my beans from the same company and decided to start them indoors in root trainers. 23 out of 42 are showing (2" high) and hopefully the rest will follow. In the past mine have rotted in cold wet soil even when planted in May and as this spring is on track to have been the coldest for the last 50yrs then there's a good chance they've rotted

yummersetter

Joined: 26 Jan 2008
Posts: 3241
Location: Somerset

Posted: Thu May 30, 13 8:13 pm Post subject:

I've sown the same variety from Realseeds into toilet roll cores full of compost, planted around May 7th. Three-quarters of them came up after about 10 days and were hardened off for a week. I put half the seedlings in the ground two days ago and covered in fleece overnight, but they're looking chilled now and may need to be replaced by the remaining seedlings.
They're really cold-sensitive plants

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Thu May 30, 13 8:16 pm Post subject:
We've found seeds from Realseeds normally germinate much better than most other companies. As has bean said it's been such a cold spring, especially overnight, I'd raise inside if possible and plant out later.

Colin & Jan

Joined: 03 Mar 2006
Posts: 203
Location: Dover, Kent

Posted: Fri May 31, 13 6:26 am Post subject:
And if they do show their heads the slugs are waiting in the slips. Like others I always start all beans off in pots or tubes.

robkb

Joined: 29 May 2009
Posts: 4205
Location: SE London

Posted: Fri May 31, 13 7:50 am Post subject:
As others have said, sow indoors and plant out later. It's been so cold and wet recently I wouldn't have bothered sowing beans outdoors.

NorthernMonkeyGirl

Joined: 10 Apr 2011
Posts: 4630
Location: Peeping over your shoulder

Posted: Fri May 31, 13 8:00 am Post subject:
I have some trail of tears beans in root trainers, sowed weeeeeks ago and the first two have only just sprouted.

soufle

Joined: 10 Apr 2013
Posts: 8

Posted: Fri Jun 07, 13 12:06 am Post subject:

hello,Ive grown this bean from real seeds for three years now and its always done well.I saved my own seed from the original pack.I always sow into 24 cell trays in the greenhouse.Mine are ready to plant out.My runners and climbing bean Blue Lake are looking very poor in comparison.Its not too late to resow,Ive got to put some more runners in.
I suspect the soil has been too cold for direct sowing .
BTW ,I dont know how many of you freeze this bean but someone told me they dont blanch them but just freeze them.I tried it and they were lovely.I shant be going through all that blanching and cold water malarkey again.

OtleyLad

Joined: 13 Jan 2007
Posts: 2737
Location: Otley, West Yorkshire

Posted: Fri Jun 07, 13 4:33 am Post subject:

soufle wrote:

BTW ,I dont know how many of you freeze this bean but someone told me they dont blanch them but just freeze them.I tried it and they were lovely.I shant be going through all that blanching and cold water malarkey again.

I've found that too - blanching doesn't seem to make any difference at all.

I've sown 'Cherokee Trail of Tears' and 'Tutankhamun's' pea from the HSL - they all came up (except 1) and I planted them out yesterday.

LynneA

Joined: 25 Oct 2006
Posts: 4893
Location: London N21

Posted: Fri Jun 07, 13 11:15 am Post subject:
I find CToT beans only germinate once things have warmed up - I only sowed mine a fortnight ago. A similar bean with quicker germination and growth is Mr Fearn's from Pennard Plants.

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