Slow starting beans :(

This is year two with a veggie garden, and we're seeing the same slow/low germination on beans as we did last year. Any germination seems to occur several days past the maximum germ time listed on the seed packets, and I'm reluctant to start the second planting since I've only seen a few break ground from two weeks ago.

What are the keys to successfully growing green beans, whether bush or pole?

Donna

Are you using inoculant? I know opinions vary on that. But I find keeping things moist but not soaked hurries them beans along. Although if it's really cool as it's been here, well, they'll just sit.

The soil must be reasonably warm to get decent germination of beans. I'm in Zone 6 (New Jersey) and I would be thinking of sowing beans about now or maybe even a week from now. You will definitely get a much better stand using treated seed but if you have problems with that wait till the weather is thoroughly warm.

Rich

I'm unsure what an inoculant is. :)

The ground is moist and well-drained, though we're again having more rain than average for May (as occurred last year) and the associated cloud cover. I'm beginning to guess that I'm starting my beans way too soon, and happy that I've only sown a few feet of them so far.

How warm does the ground need to be consistently for proper germination?

Tutti...ground temp and germination will vary for the type of bean you are growing. Snap beans (green beans/bush beans) will germ at lower temps than "lima" beans (a.k.a butter beans). Pole beans, be they snap or lima, require a bit warmer soil.

Inocculant has nothing to do with germination rates. It is more for encouraging bacterial growth on the root nodes in an effort to increase N.

If you'd like to get an early start on beans, sow them in cell packs (in a warm environment) and then set the plants into your garden. Beans will grow at cool temps but surely have a hard time germinating at cool temps.

By the way...breaking up your soil (tilling, forking, shoveling, etc) a few weeks before the time you want to set out your beans will warm it up and therby help to increase germination for your early plants.

Ahhh, so it is more about temperature on the germination rates! Guess I need to cool *MY* heels on planting the seeds so they have sufficiently warm enough heels in the soil to start running. :)

... and try an early variety, tolerant of cool soils, like Burgundy Bush! :-)

Tamara, I sense you're trying to feed my addiction 'cause I love green beans... hehehe... thanks for the tip! :)

And Rich, I noticed you mentioned you're in Zone 6 but your member page shows 7a. Are you in the same boat as I am on trying to nail down hardiness zones? Just curious here, as we're on the edge of 5b and 6a so I assume the cooler one.

sugar snap peas - since they are a cool weather crop and i live in zone 5b (july and august are the hottest months) should i put down a second planting in august??
dthanks for advice.

I am in 6a, so I hope so, look forward to the answer...

I'm doing a second pea planting as well.

Now about those peas here in my bean thread... lolol

I just glanced at a veggie planting sheet from my favorite local gardening center, and they suggest planting peas in September as well as in the Mar-June timeframe, so I may try starting some in late summer, too. :)

BTW, while my bush beans are still being shy about declaring, my pole beans are nearing the 50% mark on germination. Woo Hoo!

"Now about those peas here in my bean thread... lolol"

Watch it, you might get some peas in your bean packet LOL

Glory be, I'm a gonna have me some fall peas! It does seem to me that bush beans take longer to come up. What's up with that?

Donna, email me...

I'm working on it, Tamara. Just got a couple of DGers in my IM boxes that are driving me nutso... lol

:-)