They are OK, but for how long?

The watery beans are still growing. The roots are approximately 2 inches long and the stems are around one inch long with green leaves starting to clearly form. However, all is not plain sailing on these plain watery seas as the roots are beginning to turn brown. I have been unable to find any sources to tell me if the roots change colour as they grow and I have no previous experience with growing broad bean seeds on cotton wool. I am concerned that the roots are being exposed to too much light and that they have nothing to cling on (root) to. I'm guessing that only time will tell. My beans may have been the first to grow, but they may also be the first to burn themselves out.
I will paste some pictures on as soon as I can get my camera to work again.

The plant is emerging from the watery depths

The beans that have had their fill of plain tap water are thriving so far. They have sprouted and the white root is beginning to get quite long now. There is also a green shoot beginning to emerge from the same part of the bean. However, I am concerned that this will not continue for long as I predict that a cotton wall pad will not be enough to sustain the growth of the bean as the roots will have nothing to cling to (and we all need something to cling to sometimes!!).

Let The Sprouting Begin!!

Exciting news!! The shell on one of my beans has split and a small white shoot has now emerged!!
Im soo excited- my partner thinks I am very sad.
My cats had a look at the beans today but I think have been put off by the salty cotton wool, the non- sprouting bean is still intact but I have high hopes that it too will sprout very soon........
The beans have now turned lighter in colour and the dark blotches have disappeard from their shells they have grown a little in size which I suppose must be where they are absorbing the salty solution.
I will have another look on the internet about the germination and sprouting process, nature will find a way I suppose.

Energetic Beans, or not...

A fleeting moment of excitement this morning as i thought my first shoot had appeared, alas it was only cotton wool fluff.

Still no change on the glucose bean front, could a high energy solution be inhibiting growth?

A watched pot.....

My beans seem as yet to do anything, I had a look at them earlier and have found that despite being on a moist salty bed of cotton wool they have gone hard again! So I have added more salty water to them in the hopes that this will revive them.
I wondering if the salt water is dehydrating the beans and sapping their moisture preventing them from growing...I did think this would happen but time will tell.
I have just been on the internet (you would not believe how many things are on there about broad beans!) the website I used was an except from a Journal seemingly from the Netherlands- http://www.springerlink.com/content/7870716v4718x126/
The general consensus of the salt/bean experiment seems to be that salt is an organic metabolic inhibitor aka stunts growth to the point of non growth, it apparently seems to cause some sort of leaf thickness so I suppose it could possibly lead to the plant burning itself out too early(imagine the incredible hulk but a bean and no ripped shirts or sad music)
Anyway I will keep an open mind- my beans may define science!

The watery beans ARE BOTH ALIVE!!

These are two rather blurry pictures of my two plain watered beans. They are not very clear but both beans have split their skins and begun to sprout. This has happened very quickly and am excited about what developments may occur in the next few days. I will keep you all updated and a soon as their are any more interesting changes that my camera may pick up a little better, I will be sure to capture it.

Clare

The Importance of Bean Ernest

Well.....My beans seem extremely reluctant to pop their shells in an effort to grow, they have increased in size and seem to look alot healthier since I first brought them home, but they are slowww beans. I have wondered if maybe their in trauma as on a few occassions I have found our cats up on the windowsill peering in the cup at them.
They have however changed in colour, they now have lighter and darker patches on them, I think maybe where either the shell is starting to rot a bit or perhaps were they have most access to water. Wikipedia says this about the requird conditions for bean and seed growth:-

Requirements for seed germination
Seed germination depends on many factors, both internal and external. The most important external factors include: water, oxygen, temperature, light and the correct soil conditions. Every variety of seed requires a different set of variables for successful germination. This depends greatly on the individual seed variety and is closely linked to the ecological conditions in the plants' natural habitat.

Water
Germination requires moist conditions. Mature seeds are typically extremely dry and need to take up significant amounts of water before metabolism can resume. The uptake of water into seeds is called imbibition and leads to a marked swelling. The pressure caused by imbibing water aids in cracking the seed coat for germination. When seeds are formed, most plants store large amounts of food, such as starch, proteins, or oils, for the embryo inside the seed. When the seed imbibes water, hydrolytic enzymes are activated that break down these stored food resources and allow the seedling to germinate and grow non-photosynthetically until it reaches the light. Once the seedling starts growing, it requires a continuous supply of water and nutrients.

I am hoping that once it starts to grow I will be able to take some photos with my digital camera and upload onto the Bean Blog! I wondering if the salt water is having advers effects on my beans maybe it has killed the bean inside?........hmmmm I will investigate and see if this experiment has been done before........

Its starting for the boring bean Day 3

The embryonic shoot is showing on one plainly watered bean!!

Some useful scientifc info on how broad beans grow

http://www.nccpg.com/Default.Aspx?Page.Aspx?Page=127

The seed and seedling of the broad bean Vicia faba

While all of us are careful as we sow our seeds, we spend little time in concentrating upon the structure and germination of the seed itself.

Seeds of Dicotyledons have two seed leaves or cotyledons, hence the name, while seeds of Monocotyledons have only one cotyledon. Most of our trees and shrubs and plants with branched veins belong to the first group, while the plants with parallel veins, i.e. all our bulbs, grasses, sedges and rushes, belong to the second group.

The Broad Bean seed is formed in a large pod or legume.

The extra large seed, if soaked for 12 hours, will reveal, when dissected, its unique and intriguing structure. First observe the seed coat or testa, which is impervious to water. Squeeze the soaked seed slightly and you will notice a slight bubbling coming out of a little hole, known as the micropyle. This is where the water essential for germination gets into the seed. Near the micropyle there is a dark scar where the seed was attached to the mother plant in the bean pod, and that is termed the hilum. With your finger nails peel off the testa or seed coat and you will find two sections which are known as cotyledons. These cotyledons store starch which was obtained from its parent. When germination starts to take place this starch is converted into sugar and will give the necessary energy for germination to take place.

In between the two cotyledons you will find an embryonic shoot with vein markings and an embryonic root. The embryonic shoot is called the plumule, while the embryonic root is termed the radicle. The radicle develops first by pushing its way through the soil and developing root hairs just behind the root cap which take in water and mineral nutrients by the process of osmosis. In the broad bean the plumule acts as the first pair of leaves by going green and carrying out the process of photosynthesis. In other Dicotyledons it is the paired cotyledons that form the first pair of leaves, e.g. tomatoes, lettuces, French beans and brassicas, etc. It is unique that in the broad bean the cotyledons stay below ground and eventually rot as the seedling develops into adulthood.

The Boring Beans update after 2 days

The plain water beans are looking fat and plump after two days of sitting on a water soaked cottonwool bed. I have named them Bertha and Bellinda. On closer inspection, it is possible to see that under the skin of the bean they are slightly changing colour, there is a couple of dark patches. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing (they may be rotting from the inside, but lets hope not!)

I will update when I notice any other changes.

I'm glad that everyone has been able to access the blog ok, I guess I set it up ok!

Clare xx

Bean doing anything interesting?

High energy beans are now resting on a lovely soft cushion of cotton wool soaked in solution of water and glucose.

A good soaking for 24 hours left them a little damp and wrinkled, but then i'd be looking similar after the same time in water.

I'm thinking that these high energy beans will be off for a faster start than the average bean after having an easily absorbed energy drink. I know that's how i feel!

salty beans take 1!

Howdy bean-lovers!
After a long soak my beans are lovely and soft.
They have lightened in colour and their skins (or outer bean shells) are a little wrinkled.
I feel a little sorry for my beans as (prediction) I do not think they will fair well with salt water, but all in the name of science and progress I suppose!
I am just about to put them on their bed of cotton wool inside a cup, and give them their first few drops of salt water.
I will be keeping them on the window ledge in the kitchen so they will have lots of light and be quite warm.
How are sugary and water beans getting on?

Beans, beans, good for your heart

This is the start of Clare, Kate and Caroline's science bean blog.