Most gardeners know beans germinate best in warm soils, but did you know that certain types of beans germinate better in cool soil? According to John Gale at the Stokes Seeds, Inc., dark-colored, brown, black, or purple snap or pole beans such as 'Tendergreen' and 'Top Crop' absorb moisture more slowly than other types, and they can survive longer before germinating in cool soils than white-seeded beans like 'Derby' or 'Contender'. The white-seeded varieties take up water too quickly, causing the seed to split and rot in the cool soil.
The moral of this story -- For the season's first bean crop, plant dark-seeded varieties. Wait for warmer weather to sow seeds of light-colored beans.
Charlie Nardozzi is an award winning, nationally recognized garden writer, speaker, radio, and television personality. He has worked for more than 30 years bringing expert gardening information to home gardeners through radio, television, talks, tours, on-line, and the printed page. Charlie delights in making gardening information simple, easy, fun and accessible to everyone. He's the author of 6 books, has three radio shows in New England and a TV show. He leads Garden Tours around the world and consults with organizations and companies about gardening programs. See more about him at Gardening With Charlie.
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