Hi Karen - I've been growing this vine for the past 5 years on an arbor at the end of my driveway. I usually just put the seeds in the ground around May 15th - the last frost date here, and have never had a problem with them germinating. Some seeds take a little longer than others to germinate, but they usually all do in a few weeks.

Thank you. I am gettting impatient because of how early it came up for me last year in a winter sew container, and I was fortunate enough to bring it indoors under lights and get a big headstart on the growing season with it. I am going to try what you said, along with every other method I can think of. Thanks again, karen

I also tried to pre-germinate some early this month, because I wanted to test my saved seeds before distributing them at the garden club. I found the seeds unresponsive. However, I do think the beans just wait for some warmth. When you save your own seeds you have plenty to experiment with. I do love this plant especially the purple. I tried the white also and the flowers are also lovely but the seed pods are ordinary, not the shiny purple pods of the other. Last two years we grew them on lines adjacent to our front stoop (does anybody say stoop anymore?), and also up a railing to a roof top deck. They were even obliging enough to sucessfully grow in a 10" hanging pot so that I could have more on the upper railings. I followed directions on the pack of white seeds that said to soak the seeds overnight, and I got only one to germinate. I usually put them in a coffee mug of water for a few hours, and then go out and stick them into the ground. Happy beans to you.