Runner beans - still no sign of growth

louise.colley

Hi planted about 12 runner beans indoors on the 25th March and still no sign of any coming through. Is this a bad batch or am I being impatient? They are purple cascade. Thank you 

Lyn

I think the reason is that you’ve sown them too early.
I, and most people sow them on the 1st of May for planting out on the 1st June.
I think they’ve probably rotted away by now.
can you start again next week? 

GemmaJF

I learnt this the hard way. Advice on seed packets is always for early everything. A canny gardener with a few years knowledge might get away with it, most of us won't.

This site gives far better realistic guidance:

https://www.gardenfocused.co.uk/adjust-dates-uk.php

Enter your location and then click on the individual veg on the left and it will give sowing and planting out dates adjusted to your location.

Checking it for my locations, the site says exactly what Lyn said above for runner beans.

strelitzia32

If they are being sown indoors it's unlikely to be because it's too early (I.e.: too cold). It could be a bad batch of seeds.

Wet some kitchen towel with warm water, put a few seeds in it, fold it over to make a wet seed sandwich, put it in a plastic bag (or inside kitchen foil) and put it somewhere warm for a few days / week like in your towel cupboard. The seeds should germinate if they're still ok, you'll see the roots sprout. This should help indicate if the problem is the seeds or the germination process/conditions.

louise.colley

@strelitzia32 @Lyn @GemmaJF
Thank you all I have just removed two of the seeds. They have sprouted but look very weak and believe probably too early as you say. I will sow again - should I do indoors still? Also is it better not to use loo rolls? Thats what I had done. Thanks again Louise 

Lyn

Because they were too cold Louise,  but even if they had germinated, you still can’t plant them out until June, so would have been too tall and starting to starve in the small containers. 
I use root trainers, but a lot of people do use toilet roll tubes, as long as it’s a deep container they’ll be fine.

nick615

I'm surprised at what you say, Lyn.  I'd have thought you and I would have enjoyed similar climates.  (Devon and W Cork?)

Lyn

Fairy girl in Scotland and I share almost the same climate, cold wet windy and 960ft above. 

nick615

Fair enough.  You learn something every day?

Dovefromabove

There’s Sunny  South  Devon 🏝 🌞 😎  ... and then there’s Dartmoor and the hillsides around it ... 🥶 ⛈ 

purplerallim

And there's Lincolnshire ☀️☁️🌧🌨🌩🌬☀️ all in one day