The Seedling Show
There are a few practical reasons to start your beans off in seedling pots in a sheltered place (like a sunny window or a cold frame).
If it's too cold to sew them directly into your garden, you can get a few week's early start on growing beans - a compelling reason, if your family loves beans as much as mine does.
If you are deep in battle with the local snail and slug population, starting your beans in controlled conditions can give them a head start before introducing them to the harsh realities of the outdoors. Those first leaves of the bean plant are big and juicy - still full of sugars, super-powering these little seedlings when they first emerge. Snails tend to make a bee-line for them.
But the REAL reason I love starting beans in seedling pots is the joy of watching them grow. Compared to many veggies, bean seeds are big. The anticipation starts when the ground forms cracks and starts to look pushed up like a tiny zombie is about to rise from the grave. Then you get a peek of the pale green shoot from between the cracks. Over the course of just one day, you can watch it grow from a tiny flash of green under the surface to a fully sprouted seedling with two tiny true leaves.
Bean seedlings are big and they have a lot of personality. Watching seedlings sprout is one of the great joys of Spring - and beans are especially showy.
Monday morning:
Monday midday:
Monday evening:
Tuesday, morning:
Tuesday, midday:
If it's too cold to sew them directly into your garden, you can get a few week's early start on growing beans - a compelling reason, if your family loves beans as much as mine does.
If you are deep in battle with the local snail and slug population, starting your beans in controlled conditions can give them a head start before introducing them to the harsh realities of the outdoors. Those first leaves of the bean plant are big and juicy - still full of sugars, super-powering these little seedlings when they first emerge. Snails tend to make a bee-line for them.
But the REAL reason I love starting beans in seedling pots is the joy of watching them grow. Compared to many veggies, bean seeds are big. The anticipation starts when the ground forms cracks and starts to look pushed up like a tiny zombie is about to rise from the grave. Then you get a peek of the pale green shoot from between the cracks. Over the course of just one day, you can watch it grow from a tiny flash of green under the surface to a fully sprouted seedling with two tiny true leaves.
Bean seedlings are big and they have a lot of personality. Watching seedlings sprout is one of the great joys of Spring - and beans are especially showy.
Monday morning:
Monday midday:
Monday evening:
Tuesday, morning:
Tuesday, midday:
Comments
Post a Comment