Mushy Lima Bean Seeds

Too Tall Tomatoes 5/10/2012, 10:41 pm

So far all of my vegetable seeds that I planted last Thursday have sprouted with the exception of the bush lima beans. I poked around the soil a little bit and uncovered two lima beans that just seemed to have mushed up. Using the 9 per square spacing, I planted two beans per hole. Should I just let it go and see what happens? Or should I replant more seeds?

Almost forgot.....

I presoaked the limas, peas, and green beans overnight before I planted them. The limas are the only ones that are giving me some trouble. Is it possible that presoaking those limas caused the trouble?

Overall, I'm real happy with the success of my garden so far What a Face

TN_GARDENER 5/11/2012, 10:38 am

Replant. Your lima bean seeds have rotted.

Lima beans have a tendency to do that. They are definitely warm season crops and won't germinate if the soil is too cool (gotta go with a different bean variety if you want to get a jumpstart in early Spring).

I've never tested the soak vs don't soak theory on beans, but I prefer to not soak my beans (I did read some info where a fellow gardener saw no difference in sprout time by soaking beans). My theory is that so long as the soil is moist, the beans will grow just fine because they have a relatively thin outer membrane. That's not always the case with every type of seed out there (some have real tough "outer shells" and soaking is recommended).

**camprn** 5/11/2012, 11:34 am

With beans and peas, the only reason I pre-soak the seeds is to detect germination and I only plant the seeds that actually sprout. What a Face

Too Tall Tomatoes 5/11/2012, 11:27 pm

The peas are starting to poke through the soil, the green beans are starting to grow too, but the purple beans are about 95% germinated. They're actually about an inch tall.
I figured on presoaking the seeds because I just assumed that they'd germinate quicker. I was wrong.

As far as lima beans go, since they're a warm-weather crop, would it be better if I wait another week to replant? I'm going to a Rutgers University flower and plant sale tomorrow and if I can find lima bean plants(if they're even available in transplant form) maybe I can pick up some of them.

All of my beans and peas are bush varieties.

Thanks for your help! What a Face

landarch 5/12/2012, 11:44 am

Last week I soaked my green beans, planted, then we had 3 days of rain...after digging around today aftere seeing only a few seedlings poking up out of hte ground, I dug around a little...about 90% of what was planted rotted in the ground...time for a re-plant...hopefully it was just too much water at the wrong time.

Too Tall Tomatoes 5/12/2012, 10:57 pm

landarch wrote:Last week I soaked my green beans, planted, then we had 3 days of rain...after digging around today aftere seeing only a few seedlings poking up out of hte ground, I dug around a little...about 90% of what was planted rotted in the ground...time for a re-plant...hopefully it was just too much water at the wrong time.

When I planted my bush peas last week, I planted 27 seeds(3 per hole for proper spacing) and so far only 3 have popped up. I'm going to replant them, the bush limas, and the bush green beans that haven't done much either. This time I won't presoak the seeds. What a Face

landarch 5/12/2012, 11:23 pm

I guess I really didn't soak them...I put them in a damp paper towel in a zip-lock baggie overnight. I replanted about half of what I needed to today...30% chance of rain and cool weather predicted.

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