This year we have sewed some Franchi climbing yellow french beans in pots in the conservatory along with other runners and dwarf beans.
The Franchi beans have had an appalling germination rate. All the Lidl dwarf beans are romping away and some White Lady runners are doing 'ok'.
After realising they were not coming up as expected we popped some into a bag of damp compost in the airing cupboard and that hasn't worked either.
We still have a few left and will try them in the open now it's warmed up but we're not holding out great hopes. The bed is well prepared with old muck and compost.
Very disappointing as Franchi seeds are not cheap and are usually good quality.
Anyone else had problems? Or can anybody suggest how we can get the best out of our last few beans?
Sand
Which variety? I tried Neckargold from Franchi last year and had very bad germination (also a proportion produced green beans instead of yellow ones).
I mentioned this to a Seeds of Italy seller at a local fair. He gave me a free packet of another yellow climbing bean called Meraviglia di Venezia which I've sown outside a week ago. I hope I have more luck with these!
I'm trying yellow beans from Lidl this year, also very poor germination rate, out of 20 cells only 4 plants. ???
hmmm I got beans from Lidl too - so far the germination seems OK, even if the plants have suffered from the recent bad weather. Beans are usually so vigorous I am hoping they will catch up. I have green beans and yellow beans (that are called butter beans here but I don't think they really are that?), dwarf variety.
HOWEVER - I am wondering if my peas are not so disappointing because I got them from Lidl? They have not been really do starters, I am just hoping now to have some kind of crop from them. I had to resow a few places.
I have a purple climbing bean from Franchi and out of 40 got 2 to germinate.
I've sown about 60 borlotti beans and had 5 germinate.
BUT all the other Franchi seeds have been excellent just not beans!
we had 100% germination on our Franchi borlottis, and quick too. It's the squashes that caused us grief, tho not from Franchi
That's interesting!
We bought our yellow beans from the Franchi stall at the BBC show last year, they came highly recommended and (yes Dandelion) they are Meraviglia di Venezia! We are going back with the packet this year for a little word.
As I say all the Lidl dwarf beans (Saxa and Brittle Wax) are going great guns! I've been back to Lidl today and bought some green climbing french beans - Neckarkonigin, so will try them too. We also bought some more yellow ones from Thompson & Morgan - Goldfield. Now not sure whether to sow direct or baby them in the conservatory :-\
Sand