Planting Store-bought Beans

I never thought of sowing store-bought beans until last week when I saw something about red scarlet runner beans, which form really beautiful red flowers on long vines. I didn’t purchase any bean seeds this year, and it’s very hard to find seeds anywhere since everyone is trying to grow food these days, so I decided to sprout some Goya beans from the pantry.

I sprouted the beans first before sowing them to see if they were even viable. This was a quick, very child friendly activity, and later on my daughter was was able to help me sow them in paper cups because most did sprout.

• Step 1: Place a moist paper towel on a small plate and place your beans on top.
• Step 2: Fold the paper towel over the beans.
• Step 3: Cover with another plate and keep in a warm place. We kept it on our kitchen counter.
• Step 4: Check on the beans daily and add a little bit of water if the paper towel dries out.
• Step 5: If the beans sprout (3-5 days), sow them in a veggie soil mix (we used paper cups) or straight in the garden if it’s not too cold.

The only issue with this experiment is that I have no idea what variety they are. I don’t know if I should expect a vine or a bush! So far, after being in the dirt for 4 days, the bean plants have really shot up (Top pic). Only time will tell if they produce beans, but it’s a good option to try during these trying times.