Starting Bean Sprouts

Two plants I have problems starting from seed in my floating garden are beans and peas. For some reason, they just don't seem to make it above ground. To give them a head start, I've been sprouting the seeds much like I did back in my teaching days. Each spring my kindergarten class would start bean sprouts in milk cartons or plastic bags along the windowsill. The kids learned about plant growth first hand. The also loved giving the green plants to their parents at Open House.

For my bean sprouts I used a glass jar lined with thin cardboard covered with a paper towel. I tucked the seeds about half way down the side of the jar so they would have room to grow. Water in the bottom of the jar wicked up to the seeds and their tender roots. Once the roots appeared I took the jar outdoors during the day to bask in the warm sunshine. At night I brought the jar indoors. This wasn't because of cool evenings, but because the mice on our deck love to nibble the tender shoots.

Once the green leaves appear, the plants are ready to transplant directly into the soil. With this head start, they seem to do fine. Right now I am harvesting my snow peas and they are really prolific. Do you grow peas and beans? Do you have any tips for me? -- Margy