Climbing French Beans - help!

[endymion]

I've tried three times now to get some Climbing French Beans to germinate. The first and second lots didn't bother, the third lot have taken almost a fortnight to come through - but the ones that have come through are just little stems, no leaves on them. There's no growing point, and I'm on the point of giving up because I haven't a clue what's wrong with them.

They're in some rather coarse compost, from the same bag as I used for other beans so I don't think there's anything wrong with it.

Yesterday this was a little green stem with no leaves at the end, it's shrivelled overnight.


There were three beans in each pot, these are two of the pots





Any ideas?

And is it worth trying again, or should we accept that we don't get any climbing French beans this year.

[rustylady]

I don't like the look of your compost- what sort is it? And where are your pots?

[Flummery]

They look a bit waterlogged to me. This can cause the beans to rot. Slugs also love the growing tips but I can't tell if they are the culprits here.

Don't over-water - I think you still have time to try again!

[vicky]

Try sowing straight into the ground where they are to grow?

[Gearoid]

At this time of year I'd sow direct outside in soil. I've put them in over the last few weeks and they've come up nice and quickly.

[Wendie]

I agree with Gearoid. Directly in the soil is best, but to be honest, I've been using little pots as well with some very fine compost and not much watering. My scarlet emperors have come up in 5 days. There were a few duffers but majority are in and growing like wild fire. Keep persevering Endymion!

[BroadRipple]

I agree too - Endymion, don't despair. Last year I planted extra around this time as mine weren't coming up (the ones direct sown - those in loo rolls mostly fine) and then they ALL came up and it was an orgy of beans. And to be honest this year I can't quite resist putting a few more in either...just keep an eye out for slugs if you're direct sowing and I bet you'll be OK.
Am with ShadyLady though re: your compost - looks a bit...bran flakey. If you know what I mean. They're big seeds but maybe need an easier life than that?
Good luck!

[endymion]

Thanks for the replies.

I hope this won't look as if I'm contradicting all your helpful comments, but this has driven me to distraction. The same thing happened earlier this year, when I sowed white seeded dwarf French beans.

The compost in the picture came from a Grow bag - a local suppliers 'own brand' that I've used before. I know it looks rough and coarse in these pictures but honestly, it isn't that bad.

These beans are a generic "Climbing French Bean" from Lidl. They're white seeded.

The first lot went into seed compost, none grew. The second sowing went into soil, in pots. None of those germinated. I put these in at the same time, and into stuff from the same grow bag as some runners - which germinated and are starting to climb.

The compost wasn't kept too wet, and this wasn't done by slugs - there was no sign of nibbles, the shoots weren't damaged as such, they're deformed.

I really should have taken the pictures yesterday, then you'd have been able to see that the first picture was a perfectly formed stalk, with no marks on it whatsoever and a carefully rounded end. It's since withered because there's nothing to grow - there's no bud, no little leaves starting out and no sign of the cotyledons either.

I did wonder if the seeds might have been damaged somehow. Perhaps by some insect or other that eats beans, and enjoys eating the growing point.

[rustylady]

Duff seeds then. Do you have any left? You could try chitting one or two on damp kitchen roll in a polybox indoors to see if the same thing happens.

[rustylady]

Am with ShadyLady though re: your compost

OOOOOOOOoooooohhhhhhhhh, I have a new name - I quite like it

[Florence Fennel]

OOOOOOOOoooooohhhhhhhhh, I have a new name - I quite like it

Nah, doesn't have quite the same ring to it RL!

[Florence Fennel]

I'm with the Rusty/Shady Lady on this one, those seeds sound dodgy.

[salilah]

If you want, PM me (if it's allowed!) and for an SAE I can send you some CFB home saved seed, so you can at least see if it is the seeds?
I don't think you are too late - I put some in about a week ago in root-trainers and they are bombing along!
S

[phil the shed]

those beans from lidl are poor all my others blue lake, cobra, canadian wonder and ferrari al had close on 95% germinatin as did my runners but htose white ones from lidl only produced 2 seedlings from 30 seeds.... sometimes you get what you pay for...not always but sometimes.

[Florence Fennel]

I'm putting some seeds in rootrainers this evening and will grow them on in flower buckets.