Seed beans sprouting in pods

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!

garnetmoth · June 20, 2009

Ive seen some sprout in the pod before. are they outside on the vines still now?
Inside out of rain and humidity (basement or air conditioned room?) should help.

im not a bean expert

Sorry for your troubles!

Medbury Gardens · June 20, 2009

As a seed grower i have found that some varieties will split more than others and those that have that tendency to split, some individual plants will be worse than others.
When i harvest the dried seed, all the seed from a plant showing bad splitting is discarded so hopefully such splitting over time can be reduced or even eliminated all together within that variety

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!

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June 20, 2009	#2
garnetmoth Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: cincinnati, oh Posts: 492	Ive seen some sprout in the pod before. are they outside on the vines still now? Inside out of rain and humidity (basement or air conditioned room?) should help. im not a bean expert Sorry for your troubles!

June 20, 2009	#3
Medbury Gardens Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Medbury, New Zealand Posts: 1,881	As a seed grower i have found that some varieties will split more than others and those that have that tendency to split, some individual plants will be worse than others. When i harvest the dried seed, all the seed from a plant showing bad splitting is discarded so hopefully such splitting over time can be reduced or even eliminated all together within that variety