My solution was to plant a few beans and see what happens. If they rot, I'll plant a few more later.

Or you could start them indoors, harden them off and plant them out as small plants, which are hardier than germinating beans. Or you could wait in case we ever get any lasting good weather.

Good idea of starting few, Happy, but I would find that very difficult - looking each day to see if anything happens, and wondering how long to wait. I am in that position with my squash seeds which I planted out in a very short warm period we had (I thought it was the real thing) and I keep worrying I won't get any squash if I have to start over now. We have such a short growing season that starting indoors would not be an option now. For one thing I have no more room - my indoor lights are fully taken with tomatoes, peppers, and a few other annuals. Today was fairly warm and I dug around a little with my garden claw, but it is still so wet. I think I'll prepare the site and let it sit until next weekend. Then I'll go ahead and see what happens. Thank you.

I keep worrying

Let us be of good cheer, remembering that the misfortunes hardest to bear are those which will never happen. ~James Russel Lowell.

From here, with many other good quotes about not worrying. Also what Dale Carnegie said about avoiding worry

Plant what you can when you can. Like my neighbor says, we'll probably get something.

Touche, Happy. That has always been my problem. I worry too much. A friend once said that I worry about not having anything to worry about!! I will print your quote and put it on my fridge - my son is worse. Maybe a better phrase would be that I get anxious. To my surprise, I went out today (first hot day) and found two squash sprouts - I had been 'worrying' that they had rotted after direct seeding and all the rain. So my beans will go in tomorrow - I have them soaking in water overnight. Never did that but my neighbour suggested it and I know it won't hurt. Happy Gardening!
Northerner.

Print out the whole page, there are some good ones there!

Here is a link that might be useful: Quote Garden on Worry

Not in Ontario, but growing pole beans for the third year here in SK. Last year, I waited until mid-June to get to the "ideal" temperatures "they" say pole beans need. I picked for only a couple of weeks before frost hit. They had just started producing well and bam, toast. This year, I did a test run with half a dozen seeds indoors. From seeding in cell packs (36 per flat size) to the point of maturity where I wanted the fragile roots outside and in the soil was only 10 days; 7 would have been good, too. AS soon as the sprouts started breaking the soil, I put the flats out in the cold frames, so no hardening off required. They're out now in the soil and doing great. I would only be planting them this coming week normally.

Air temperature is not a good indicator of soil temperature. Soil temperature is greatly affected by radiant heat from the sun in addition to air temperiature. Use an inexpensive cooking thermometer to check actual soil temperature at seed planting depth (about 2.5 cm). You may be surprised.

I don't advise soaking bean seed but some do it.

Jim

Thanks, Macky, you seem to have found a good solution. Unfortunately, I have no more room for starting things indoors, nor do I have a cold-frame which seems to be a staple for far-North gardeners. So your route will not be suitable for me at this time.

Jim, it's good to know the facts about air vs. soil temperature. I must give it a test.

Anyway today my beans went in. Three tripods with scarlet runner, Kentucky wonder, and a long asian bean called bhodi. The two things I did differently was to plant the beans in hills (I read that the soil heats up faster) and I pre-soaked them (was advised by a neighbour). Jim, I wonder why you advise against this.

As Happyday suggested, I put in a trial row of bush beans which I mistakenly bought, and today they are up. So Jim, this supports your comment about the soil temperature. Thanks for the tip. My sqush, zucchini, and cukes are also up, substantiating Jim's claim that the 'coolish' air temperatues are not a good indicator of soil temp. I must keep this in mind for next year. Then I finally put a thin sprinkling of slug bait around the areas. The slugs here are terrible and I go out each night on 'slug patrol' to pick them off my vines. This bait is supposed to be not harmful to children or pets but I have neither in my garden for extended periods. Last year they turned my pepper plant leaves into beautiful 'doily' patterns. I had to take them up and transfer them to pots. This year they go into pots directly. I am still hardening off and it seems as if my tomatoes have become infected during the process. Curling/drying tips of leaves, so I am in a hurry to get them in the ground. Happy gardening all!!

Curling/drying tips of leaves

Northerner, has it been very windy? My tomato transplants were battered by wind because I did not put any sort of shelter around them. The least damage was curling/drying tips of leaves, the worst was branches whipped right off the plant. Fortunately they are sprouting new leaves from the nodes.

"Jim, I wonder why you advise against this."

I was hoping to slip that one by without justifying it. LOL!

I don't remember the source of that advice but I am quite sure it was a reliable one because I made a point of remembering it. I think it has to do with the possibility of the beans splitting and becoming damaged if they swell up rapidly.

On what I consider reliable advice, I did soak my okra seeds overnight. And it has been advised to soak other seeds which have hard seed coats and, with some, even nick or abrade the seed coat. Bean seeds however, have thin skins which allow moisture to penetrate readily.

Your soaked beans will probably be OK. Keep your eyes open for further info on this to see if it is correct.

Jim