Tuesday 19 April 2011

It's bean a long time....

Last year I planted 88 beans in four different orientations defined by the direction the 'scar' was pointing in: Up, Down, Sideways Lateral and Sideways Vertical. The 'scar down' seeds emerged first and had no failures.  The 'scar sideways vertical' beans did worst.  But were my results statistically significant? I don't have the technical ability to judge this.  So this year I'm planting 132 beans (of 6 different varieties). Half of each variety have been sown scar down and half sideways vertical. I will score them by day of emergence and failure to emerge.  Will there be a difference between the two groups this year?

Here we go:



Stand by your labels

In they go.
 Now lets just hope there aren't any frosts from here on....

9 comments:

  1. My goodness Mal....I just stick them in the ground any old way!! Quite often, my now 3 year old grandson does it :)

    I can't believe that I missed your last post! Everything is looking good!! Keep up the good gardening!

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  2. I am not sure I would take the time to place the beans in a particular position...but the teacher in me is very Interested in your results.

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  3. interesting post i can't wait to see the results.

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  4. Oh golly I have had a giggle, I just dump mine on the ground and expect them to grow - no wonder you have such fabulous produce Mal, look at all the science going into this.

    Fabulous effort, can't wait to see the results :)

    Ali.

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  5. I'm planning on using your results to base my planting this year. If there happens to be no difference in your results i'll just do what i did last year- randomly poke the seeds into the soil 2 by 2 (bush beans).

    I'm also blanching my rhubarb this spring, something i had never heard of until i read your blog last year! :o)

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  6. I followed your guidance and have gone scar down on all of them Mal, no half measures. So far so good, the first batch has come up, waiting for the second and will sow the third batch this weekend. Look forward to the results of this year's trial with interest.

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  7. I'm growing 9 different varieties of climbing bean this year, and two of Dwarf beans. I don't sow the beans in any particular orientation, and I have seldom had any problems with germination. The biggest threat is normally Vine Weevils attcking the young seedlings just ater planting out. This year I'm trying Nematodes.

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  8. If I've given everyone a laugh, good. But I haven't gone out of my way. I was going to plant all these beans anyway. The only change is that I have recorded that half have gone in one way, half the other.

    I'd be interested in your results, Ruth, and anyone else...

    9 climbers Mark! that deserves an award. I've only got four, and two dwarf varieties. But one of my climbers is a random from my dwarf beans last year. I'm hoping it will grow true.

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  9. Mal...I'm still just chucking mine in the pots and the germination rate is good so I'll go with the less complicated way!!

    Have to say though i do like the orderliness of your labels..i always mean to be this efficient, but I tend to forget and then I have to guess at what I have put where although I have to admit i have been a little more organised this year!!

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