I bought some seed earlier in the year from Simpsons namely "corono d'oro". I sowed 20 of these at the same time as sowing all my other beans. Same compo same temperature. They have all gone mushy.The same happened to me last year with coco sophie. The coco sophie I had from an A4A member have all germinated, so have the ones that Hyacinth sent me. Would I be able to chit the rest before I sow them
Runner and French beans do not travel well, being big they can easily crack and chip.
Sometime one or two of mine never germinate and just go to mush and that is what I have always put it down to.
I have just sent them an email to ask wether or not these seed need special care to get them to germinate. I don't mind a few failures but don't expect the lot to fail
Yes, you are right. Too few of us complain and put it down to 'our mistake' when we get failures.
If you have got nothing it seems like the batch could be defective.
Let us know how you get on. After care for customers is always worth hearing about.
I've made two attempts to get Neckarkoenigen climbing french beans from Lidl to germinate this year and have got zilch! I've been using this variety from Lidl for the past three years and have always had good results - can't think what is wrong with this years supply. Had to buy plants from B & Q in the end. (But at least I got them at half-price!)
Tricia
I've had loads of trouble this year - suspected the compost - or too wet.
We're doing 'Oro as well. We'll see.
I put 4 beans in a bag on some damp tissue just to see what happens.
Hi all, :)
I have also had trouble with corona d` ora, mine were from Kings seeds, fresh this year. I sowed 10 seeds & only 5 germinated, these have grown on quite well, but only 50% germination is very poor :( I have also contacted Kings to let them know about the problem. Usually Kings seed are of excellent quality, no problems in the past with any thing from them, so I will be interested in what they have to say, I will report back.
Adrian.
I have had problems with white seed varieties. Now always start on kitchen roll and wash seeds if slightest show of mould. Have also found a few drops of aloe vera stops mould forming.
I think that sometimes the shops are not very careful about seeds and they get too hot.
Do my own seed saving and most of my white beans have rotted whatever I do but dark beans no porblems.
Grew a variety called Lazy Housewife last year. Original white seeds germinated well. Half saved seeds were white but half were cream coloured. Obviously a cross occurred somewhere along the line. Since the plants were slightly different assume it was before I got them. Almost all the white seeds have rotted but none of the cream ones. Seeds were all handled in exactly the same way.
Mine did all right till I put them out in the mini greenhouses. Everything else was fine, but the Yard Long beans keeled over and look as though they've had it.
My French beans are awful this year. I'm losing so many!
I am doing the same method as previous years (chitting before planting the germinated seed) and most of them are just rotting.
White beans are very much worse than dark beans, and Corona d'Oro worst of all (they are from www.beansandherbs.com) and not a single one has germinated from the whole pack.
I am stumped.
I save my own seed, so they haven't "travelled" as someone suggested.
I can only think they didn't dry out properly due to the awful wet cool summer we had last year?
My french and runners have been fine, even the ones the school children planted on their visit last week are coming up. The Spagna beans were almost a total failure though, only 4/20... :-\
I had problems with my saved peas. I think you're right, they didn't dry out properly in the awful weather.
I planted just over 70 cobra and only half came up, some were doing serious contortions to come up and one came up root first so I assumed I had (in the heavy rain shower that hit half way through sowing) in my hurry sowed the seeds in the wrong orientation. See previous post http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,52216.0.html.
I planted another 30 to make up for the loss they haven't appeared yet still a few days too early. I've never had a problem before and never had to chit them.
I've had problems with germination this year with both climbing french beans and runners, but mostly with runners. Started them off in pots as usual, and only about 50% germinated, the rest went to mush. No difference between white beans and dark beans. When I planted them out, I sowed another bean alongside each plant direct - almost 100% germination from these! I think it must be problems with seed as FIL had major germination problems with runners this year, he's been growing them for over 60 years and always has success!
Kitty Katt
Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on June 08, 2009, 08:52:04
I had problems with my saved peas. I think you're right, they didn't dry out properly in the awful weather.
What awful weather!!! We finally had some proper rain this weekend and it probably didn't penetrate far into the soil. Just before the weekend the total rainfall here for this year was 78mm! I think the deserts get more.
I just looked it up http://www.ace.mmu.ac.uk/eae/climate/older/Desert_Climate.html
Oh No! :o
As it says... less than 10"pa... which made Essex a desert for several years in the 90's... (other than cultural of course ;D )
10", I think Ray had that in his waterproof pocket yesterday ;D
I've had a bit of trouble with me climbing french beans this year, all sorted now by saddad and debs ;D
Some of my onions have fallen down the cracks in the ground.....you can just see the tips of the leaves sticking out in one case!
Quote from: Kea on June 08, 2009, 08:56:38
I planted just over 70 cobra and only half came up, some were doing serious contortions to come up and one came up root first so I assumed I had (in the heavy rain shower that hit half way through sowing) in my hurry sowed the seeds in the wrong orientation. See previous post http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,52216.0.html.
I planted another 30 to make up for the loss they haven't appeared yet still a few days too early. I've never had a problem before and never had to chit them.
Just an update.....Only 7 of the replacement 30 have germinated so now i know what ever mistake i thought i had made the first time it wasn't the cause of the problem. Still don't know what that problem is...as someone else said the ones that didn't germinate just turn to mush! ??? ??? ??? ???
PS I've asked my brother- in-law to watch out for the arrival of my missing onion in NZ ;D
Well Kea I got 4 to germinate and I have put them on the plot just to save the seed. We will see next year what happens, I have done the same with coco sophie that an A4A member kindly sent me. All of my cherokee have germinated
My Corona seeds from Kings managed less than 10% germination - my other beans normally get 90%. I sent them a quick email about it and apparently they're getting 83% when last tested. They are sending another packet so I'll try them.
Jeremy
My seeds are from T&M and Fothergills both are not germinating. Looking at some of the plants that have germinated I'm starting to think there's a problem with my compost. Some of the plants have leaves that look twisted, bubbled and buckled like they've been affected by a hormone weedkiller.....BUT not many of them. I used Westland JI no 1 which is usually really good and other vege has been fine this year....Squash, cabbage, globe artichoke, leeks and Kale also nasturtiums.
Kea, that does sound like it could be the compost. Maybe worth emailing the suppliers / makers ?
1066
I used Westland organic last year and everything I planted in it died. Went back to non organic.
It was only two days ago that Eristic predicted that the herbicide problem would hit commercially available composts.
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,52998.0.html
Ceres has provided me with a great deal of info on ther subject.
Some are completely unaffected. I tipped out the compost from the ones that didn't germinate and found a white grub in some of the soil......looks bigger than a vine weevil though and must have been in the soil. Not sure if it's the culprit. I have to get some new seed potting mix of a different brand and plant some more...see what happens.
other stuff germinated ok in the same mix. I think my Broad beans were in last years potting mix though.....they were fine.
From my experience this year, the (less then 10% germination) Corona beans have come up contorted but growing while the other french beans (90% germination) are fine (blue lake, blauhide, borlotti). I've stuck them in regardless as its possibly a bit late to sow more? I use the cheapest compost I can find - JA BOwers this year.
I'm trying to grow Blauhilde climbing beans. I have no problem with germination but as soon as I put them in the ground, along come the slugs and munch the lot :( Same with the beetroot, I'm on my third sowing this year and I havn't had one plant yet. This has got to be the worst year yet for home growing. :'(
I'm using Wickes own cheapo compost BTW, seems really good stuff.
late sowings of climbing beans never work for me for some reason. There's plenty of time still for them to reach maturity and crop well, but they never do. Thet just struggle on. Dwarf beans on the other hand I can sow for ages yet, and they crop really well