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aninocentangel · June 20, 2009

Hey everyone. I'm saving Black Valentine (black seeds when dry) and Provider beans (purple red seeds when dry) for seed. Everything I've read about saving seed beans says to let the pods dry on the plants, so that's what I was doing. This morning my son brought me the first dried pod (Provider) and when I cracked it open 3/4 of the beans had split their seed coats, sprouted a little, and were molding, which had spread to the seeds that were dry. I had him bring in some more pods that were yellow, just starting to yellow, green but collapsing, and tough old but green. All of them had sprouting beans in them except the tough old green ones, that pod only had one, but the seeds hadn't started turning colors yet. I had him bring in the oldest of the Black Valentine pods, in the tough old but green stage, and one of them also was sprouting, but the beans were just starting to show the color change.
Obviously it's too hot and humid here to let the beans dry on the plants, so now I'm flummoxed as to what to do to get seed for next year.
I've thought about stringing the pods up and letting them dry inside, which is how to make shucky beans, but I'm not sure if this will work. I've never tried planting seeds from shucky beans LOL.
Can the seed crop be saved?
Thanks!

June 20, 2009	#1
aninocentangel Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: 8a Coastal SC Posts: 251	Seed beans sprouting in pods Hey everyone. I'm saving Black Valentine (black seeds when dry) and Provider beans (purple red seeds when dry) for seed. Everything I've read about saving seed beans says to let the pods dry on the plants, so that's what I was doing. This morning my son brought me the first dried pod (Provider) and when I cracked it open 3/4 of the beans had split their seed coats, sprouted a little, and were molding, which had spread to the seeds that were dry. I had him bring in some more pods that were yellow, just starting to yellow, green but collapsing, and tough old but green. All of them had sprouting beans in them except the tough old green ones, that pod only had one, but the seeds hadn't started turning colors yet. I had him bring in the oldest of the Black Valentine pods, in the tough old but green stage, and one of them also was sprouting, but the beans were just starting to show the color change. Obviously it's too hot and humid here to let the beans dry on the plants, so now I'm flummoxed as to what to do to get seed for next year. I've thought about stringing the pods up and letting them dry inside, which is how to make shucky beans, but I'm not sure if this will work. I've never tried planting seeds from shucky beans LOL. Can the seed crop be saved? Thanks!