If you don't want to buy seeds but want to get the seeds for the coming season from your own plants, this is particularly easy with bush beans. Below you will find out how to recognize ripe seeds and how best to harvest them.
How do I get the seeds of French beans?
To obtain the seeds, thepodsof the bush beans areharvestedas soon as they are fully ripe. This can be recognized by the fact that they are slightly brownish, dry and brittle. Theseedsarepicked outand thendried
When can the seeds of French beans be obtained?
About eight toten weeks afterofsowing the seeds of bush beans can be harvested. Make sure the seeds are fully ripe. Otherwise they will not be able to germinate when sown later.
How do I recognize bush beans that are ready to go to seed?
You can recognize that bush beans are ripe because the seeds are clearly visible under the podThe pod isbrownishdiscolored,driedandbrittleAfter picking such a pod, the seeds in it shouldrustle
How do I harvest French beans for seed production?
To get the seeds from a bush bean, you should pick the entirepods If the pods are still too wet, for example because it has rained, you can hang them up and let them dry. to open them later and remove the seeds. With some bush bean varieties, the whole plant can be harvested because all the bean pods ripen at the same time.
What should I do after harvesting the French bean seeds?
After you have removed the seeds from the pods, they aredried again Otherwise there is a risk of mold. To do this, simply spread the seeds out over a wide area in an airy, dry, dark and cool place. After two to three weeks they should be thoroughly dried so that they can be bottled for storage.
What are bush bean seeds suitable for?
The bush bean seeds obtained are particularly suitable forSowingin the coming year. Their germination capacity remains good for around two to three years before gradually declining. You can also soak the seeds, cook them and use them forconsumption.
Why aren't all bush beans suitable for producing seeds?
Anyone who harvests the seeds ofF1 hybridsruns the risk that the plants obtained from the seeds will nothave the same properties as the mother plant. You should therefore avoid F1 hybrids for seed production. However, it is better to choose seed-resistant varieties. It is also advisable to only harvest the pods that look the most beautiful. Small and stunted pods are less suitable because their offspring carry similar genetic material.
Tip
Tricking the bean beetle
Sometimes the bean beetle lays its eggs on the seeds of bush beans. If you have bad experiences with this, put the seeds in a bag in the freezer for a few days. Any eggs that may be present are killed there.
