Use Of Last Years Kentucky King Bean Seeds - Knowledgebase Question

Lansdale, PA
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Question by seandeh
May 30, 2001
I ordered a 1/2 pound of Kentucky King Bean seeds from your company last year. I had a great harvest last year and the beans were great.

This year - I planted numorous beans and only two sprouted. Can you use the beans from last year? Or was the poor sprouting due to the recent inconsistancy in the weather? Please advise.


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Answer from NGA
May 30, 2001
Some of the beans should still be viable after a year, but the germination rate will be lower because of their age. Storage conditions also have a strong effect on viability over time. Planting into overly wet or compacted soil will also reduce your odds of success. You could test the seeds by placing some as a sample on a damp paper towel, wrap it in plastic wrap to keep it moist and set it in a bright location out of direct sun. Check the germination rate and extrapolate that to the rest of the seeds you have.

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