I grew these last year and they're beautiful. I'm getting ready to start some more seeds but can't remember if I'm supposed to soak them over night or just put right into my seed starting mix in the greenhouse. I plan on pretty much covering the fence on the side of the back yard this year. If anyone has a favorite way of starting these let me know. I don't trust the weather enough yet even here in Texas to put them directly in the ground so I'll use some of my biodegradable pots I have to start them.

It's not absolutely necessary to soak the beans before planting but lots of folks have success soaking the seeds overnight.
Good luck and happy growing!

Thanks, I'll probably just go ahead and soak them in some distilled water and hydrogen peroxide I just couldn't remember if it was absolutely necessary or not.

I've always just planted them...
I have to start all of my beans in pots (too), due to the voles....

I went ahead and soaked them overnight just to be safe.

Hope I'm not too late.
Love these vines, they are easy to grow and prolific when grown here in Michigan. Our weather is moderate during the summer lows in the 50s and highs in the 70s-80s. They would make an excellent screen for privacy. Chris, I know TX is alot hotter ! You may need to water if it is dry.
I just direct seed in the ground and in a half barrel. They are not labor intensive and a little fertilizer keeps the leaves vibrant.
It is so easy to collect the seeds, waiting for the pod to dry and turn brown on the vine before harvesting. This vine is an annual for me.
Best of luck !

Hi Kathy, I've got mine in the ground now along the fence. I started them in Jan in the greenhouse in the little square jiffy pots then just planted the whole thing in the ground. I keep them watered but didn't think about a little fertilizer. I think I'll go out tomorrow and spread some Milorganite around them and see how it does. Love the scent from the flowers which is why I planted so many more this year.

I, too, love hyacinth beans. I started mine a few weeks ago and they're already starting to "vine". We have a large deer population here in central Texas, so gardening is a challenge. Knowing how the white-tails love vines, I planted several five gallon pots and have put them in the unused dog kennel. I call it The Vinery. The six foot chain link will act as a trellis, and the deer can't get to them. Am growing passion flower, queen's wreath, cardinal climber, cypress vine, morning glories, moon flower, and - of course - hyacinth beans. I know there's a white variety, but the seeds offered online are ridiculously expensive. Anybody have some to trade?

You're absolutely correct about the deer. They run wild here in town. I've been putting fewer plants out front each year because of them and what I do put out they tend to leave alone. It's a shame I have to keep all my Hibiscus in the backyard due to them. However, the 4' fence doesn't deter them much so when they get hungry enough they jump it anyway. I've not heard of the white variety. I'll have to look them up.

About the deer.... I'm an animal lover and my land is a certified wildlife habitat. When we bought this property 17 years ago, I grew roses and daisies and poppies and much, much more. But many folks in the area (including my neighbor) put out deer feeders that throw corn twice a day. Over the years, with no predators except the Dodge Ram, the deer population has exploded. And the herd is not healthy with many suffering from goiters. I feel sorry for the deer as they are now too numerous for the land to support. So they have eaten most of my plantings and killed several small trees by rubbing their antlers against the bark. My gardens now consist of salvias, mist flowers, rosemary, and natives that can withstand the onslaught. I converted my vegetable garden (which is fenced) into a butterfly garden. It's a sad situation, and I'm sure those that feed them think they're doing a good deed. Texas Parks and Wildlife begs people to stop the practice, to no avail.
Sorry this turned into a mini-rant. I'll climb down off of the soapbox now.
By the way, I did order some white hyacinth bean seeds last night. Onalee's has them for $4 and free shipping. Am anxious to grow them.

Problem here in town is that as the city grows they build more houses and take away more of the deer habitat. This drives them into town looking for food and water and as with you people think it's really neat to have Bambi in their yard every day eating food they put out. They don't realize that Bambi has a lot of friends and they all come into town also. I've seen several hit as they try to run across 190 to get some where else. The photo was taken some years back right next to my driveway. I've got a lot of photos taken at night with my wildlife camera in my front yard.