Starting Beans from seed

[creister]

Do any of you start your green bush beans? I am considering doing this as last year the pill bugs and slugs would eat the sprouts up before the plants could get large. Will they transplant well?

Thanks,
Curt

[Stainless]

I have done it and didn't have any problems. I think as long as you don't let them get root bound, you will be fine.

[oakley]

Seeds are cheap. I direct seed all my early peas as soon as the soil is workable. I do soak them for 6-12 hours. -early peas not beans. I then plant another row the next 3-4 weeks, every weekend, as one never knows when the critters show up...(birds, etc)...do a succession planting for a longer harvest and insurance.

I do the same with beans for the same reason...insurance. Direct seed and start another row behind the first for a few weeks. (too much rain and seeds might rot). I don't chance it and always have huge peas and beans by quickly adding another row behind the other...and I do not ever wait to see if the first row it coming up.

I never do 'starts'. Not happy transplants.

[oakley]

Oh, Texas. Different issues.
Starts are tender but it can be done. (i lived in Texas for a year).

[FigPig]

I had major slugs last year, and diatomaceous earth sprinkled around the sprouting beans worked well, even if it was a little high maintenance. I do start mine between moist paper towels, just until the root sprouts. Otherwise, larvae in the soil seem to eat most of my seeds. They're in the ground before leaves sprout, though, so I can't really speak to transplants.

[kath]

I sow them individually in large peat pots and transplant them without problems- they get big quickly.

[Stvrob]

Do you all innoculate your bean seed?

[creister]

Originally Posted by Stvrob

Do you all innoculate your bean seed?

I have never tried that.

[rxkeith]

you can start bush or pole beans in those plastic cell packs to get an early start or protect from pests. once they are growing you want to plant them in ground within two weeks.
keep them watered, and time it so its not really hot out otherwise they languish until they decide they want to live.



keith

[Father'sDaughter]

I start the first planting in pots, but not small starter cells--the larger ones I use for up-potting things like peppers and eggplants. This allows me enough time to get them to a good size and still plant them out without too much root disturbance. The second round get direct sowed since we're later into the season and they will sprout and grow more quickly.

[Worth1]

I have started starting all of my stuff in some kind of container because of the slugs and snails.

Works great.
Worth

[AlittleSalt]

I am wondering about the same thing. Abilene is about 2.5 hours driving time from our house. In Texas, that's down the road a piece.

A very nice TV member gave me some runner beans to try. I had never seen a runner bean - much less have grown them. I'm wondering if it would be better to start them in a 2" transplant pot or solo cup and later transplanting them?

[rhines81]

Originally Posted by Stvrob

Do you all innoculate your bean seed?

I did last year and did not notice any difference in production. This was also in new soil.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

I am wondering about the same thing. Abilene is about 2.5 hours driving time from our house. In Texas, that's down the road a piece.

A very nice TV member gave me some runner beans to try. I had never seen a runner bean - much less have grown them. I'm wondering if it would be better to start them in a 2" transplant pot or solo cup and later transplanting them?

Yes Salt please do this.
This is the way I started mine early on the house so they would sprout in the cooler weather.
Then in the day I would take them outside while it was warm and bring them in at night.
In the UK this is how they start all of their beans because they have such lousy weather.
Melons and cucumbers the same way just make sure the container is headed towards root bound before you transplant on the melons and cucumbers so the soil doesn't fall apart.
With the beans and peas it doesn't really matter.
My runner beans are now over 6 feet tall.

Worth