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Posted by johnnycabaret (U13647818) on Sunday, 18th April 2010
I've tried sowing borlotti beans twice this year with very limited success, they just seem to be rotting in the pots and the ones that do grow seem a bit pathetic. I grew them last year without problems and can't seem to work out why this years are going so badly! Any tips would be greatly received!
how wet is the soil and did soak beans be fore planting them.
I planted them in the contents of a growbag that got chewed open, I suspect by a local fox. I watered the compost before I planted and then when it started to look dry. I did the same with the bush beans I planted at the same time and they've shot up! Not heard of soaking the beans before hand though.
sounds your real problem was you got batch of bad seed.
, in reply to message 1.
Posted by Playingtimeaddedon (U14150224) on Monday, 19th April 2010
Put two or three layers of kitchen towel in an old ice cream tub. Lay beans out on it and then cover with another sheet of kitchen towel.
Dampen the towel and put the lid back on the tub,
Check it out after five or six days and you will see that some of the beans will show signs of shoots.
Plant the ones with shoots, because they have germinated, and throw out the ones that have not.
Use the same method for runner beans, peas and broad beans.
I grow borlotti's every year but always plant them at the end of the season I start them off late May or even later some years
I just let them grow I don't eat the beans young but let the pods mature (turn pink) then pod them and freeze the beans (don't bother blanching) they are lovely in ministrone and casseroles and there is a great dish for them in the River Cafe's first recipe book
Did you save the beans from last years crop. Sometimes its better to buy fresh bean if they do not germinate. I grow mine in individual cell trays and they germinate fine within about a week. I usually sow them about now to plant out in May.
The seeds planted first were bought this year and the 2nd sowing I discovered in the shed and were left over from last year. Some great tips, thanks for the responses!
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