Beans sprout slowly and poorly at 60F soil temputature. They do ok at 65F but I may not get that here until it is too late to plant my longer season beans. To be able to plant on my usual June 1 date, all but runner beans need to be started indoors. I do grow a lot of transplants but there is not enough room for all that I would need. It is also possible to pre-sprout beans and I do that with all the beans to be planted on June 1 except for those grown as transplants. After much experimentation, it appears that soaking overnight for 8 hours will result in a lot of damaged seeds. Most beans are happy with a four soak in a jar with cheese cloth over the opening followed by rinsing and draining several times a day. Many will be sprouting after 36 hours. Those that are not are given a second 4 hour soak and roots will start to appear even during that soak. This works very well for most beans. The white seed Clem and Sarah's Big Bean will not tolerate a 4 hour soak and is best started in soil free seed starting or potting mix. The white seed Brita's Footlong does fine with a four hour soak followed by a 3 hour soak the next day. Other than growing transplants, the most reliable way I have found is to start beans in a similar way to that except that many beans are grown in a single pot or tray. A pot or tray of a soil free mix of peatmoss, vermiculite and perlite can be used to pre-sprout many beans and they will continue to grow in outdoors temperatures in which they would not germinate. One method of sterilizing or at least greatly reducing pathogens on bean seeds is to soak them in 3% hydrogen peroxide for 15 minutes. I plan to try that with some seed this year. - Dick

I know that lots of people soak their beans but truthfully they sprout so fast anyway, I choose not to risk damaging the seed...just my opinion though....on the watering..Once I plant I make sure the seed is well watered and then I usually just keep the soil top moist so they can poke their little heads through without getting a headache...I love growing pole beans...they just keep on keeping on...

Reba, many bean growers presprout all their beans. Sprouted beans will grow in cooler soil (say, 60F) where directly sown seed would tend to rot. I sprouted all but one of the two dozen varieties that I am growing this summer. I used several layers of damp paper towels on plates and covered them with plastic wrap. This worked ok except that some seeds got moldy. Then I noticed that some GardenWeb members said that plastic promotes mold growth and should not be used. Some presprout sprout beans in vermiculite or seed starting mix. Gardening expert Steve Solomon says that he sprouts beans in a jar, soaking them in tepid water for six to eight hours maximum. The mouth of the jar is covered with plastic or cloth screen. He then rinses them a few times daily and lays the jar on its side. This winter I plan to experiment with this method using several varieties of bean seed. If that does not work well, I will plan on the seed starting mix method for next year.

Most of this information comes from "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, Ph.D., if you need a good book on the topic. Our ancestors soaked (or fermented) grains/seeds/beans. In India rice and lentils are fermented for at least two days before they are prepared as idli and dosa. In Africa coarsely ground corn is soaked overnight before adding it to soups and stews, and they ferment corn or millet for several days to produce a sour porridge called ogi. Mexican pozol are fermented for several days and for as long as two weeks in banana leaves. Europeans made slow-rise breads from fermented starters (aka naturally-leavened breads). In Scotland it was the custom to prepare oatmeal in large batches and pour the cooked cereal into a drawer in the kitchen hutch or dresser. As needed, squares of congealed oatmeal could be cut out and reheated by adding a little water. This process allowed the oatmeal to ferment a second time. The reason....as you already mentioned - all grains contain phytic acid in the outer layer or bran. When it's not treated (soaked, sprouted, fermented) phytic acid combines with calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and especially zinc in the intestinal tract and blocks absorption. Diets high in unfermented whole grains can lead to serious mineral deficiencies and bone loss. Soaking allows enzymes, lactobacilli and other helpful organisms to break down and neutralize phytic acid. As little as seven hours of soaking in warm acidulated water will neutralize a large portion of phytic acid in grains. Many years ago there were instructions on the oatmeal package for soaking it overnight and cooked it the next morning. Oats actually contain more phytates than almost any other grain. Back in the oat bran fad, frequent consumption of large amounts of oat bran lead to mineral losses, allergies and irritation of the intestinal tract due to the phytic acid. I also process nuts by soaking them in lightly salted water and then dehydrating them - what we call "Crispy Nuts". After being processed the nuts are much easier to digest and will store much longer. Many people who start a "natural" diet without first treating the grains/seeds/beans/nuts they consume can quickly find they suffer from digestive issues. I don't process 100% of the grains/seeds/beans/nuts we consume, but I do process a large percentage of them. If I consume something that hasn't been processed first, I make sure I take a digestive enzyme after consumption. By sprouting first (which requires soaking then several days of rinsing) I reduce the carbohydrates, increase the nutrition, and make them easier to digest. It's essentially pre-digested food. I am currently using sprouted brown rice, lentils, quinoa, corn (milled into cornmeal), sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, buckwheat, nuts, beans (a variety of them). Sprouting beans before consuming them will also make them (ahem) "less noisy" ;-). This is important for my use because a large percentage of our diet is whole grains/seeds/beans/nuts. -Grainlady Here is a link that might be useful: Nourished Kitchen