At the end of April sow a single bean seed, 4cm (1.5in) deep, in a 7.5cm (3in) pot filled with multi-purpose compost. Water well, label and place on a sunny windowsill to germinate.

Beans have large, kidney-shaped seeds. Many years back, I learned an interesting tip for getting the best possible germination, or sprouting.

Letter Published: 25 February 1909 Germination of the Broad Bean Seed FRANK CAVERS Nature 79, 488 (1909) Cite this article ...

International Journal of Plant Sciences, Vol. 157, No. 1 (Jan., 1996), pp. 40-48 (9 pages) The cytophysiology of the caruncle of Ricinus communis was studied from the fifth day after pollination until ...