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'Treated' beans and peas?
Loz46
Posts: 103
in Fruit & veg
Hi everyone My dad has given me some pea and broad bean seeds that are covered in a kind of crusty pink coating, and on the packet it says that they have been 'treated' and that gloves should be worn when handling them. I just wondered if anyone had any idea what this coating was or what it's for. I'm ultimately trying to work out if it has any effect on the germination time! Although it has only been a week so not too bad, but worried the recent heat might not be the best germination conditions! Any thoughts? Thanks guys.
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What else does the pack say? Have they been treated with a fungicide in which case 'Yuk' - sorry, I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole.
However, there is stuff available to use when sowing bean seeds which is an organic booster to improve their growth - I don't know of seeds that are sold coated with this, but I suppose that might be the case.
Surely the pack explains more?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I sowed some pea seeds last week that had been treated with a fungicide, the coating looked pearly pink
Hi Dove,
No unfortunately the pack doesn't say any more.
Do they have a 'brand' name?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I was given some of T&Ms sow strong leeks.. i sowed some alongside my blue winter leeks from real seeds.. the blue ones probably germinated better!
Think the coating stuff is a bit of a con it seems.
Hi I got some free seeds which were Unwins 'Grosure' Spinach, the pack says that they have a special coating and that you should wash your hands after handling. It says they have been treated with Thiram and Metalaxyl-M and that they are 'guaranteed to give the best results for your garden'. Whatever that means!!!!
Most probably a mice deterrent.
Last year i used Unwins treated sweetcorn seeds, they had been coated with a pink powder that they advised aided germination. I dunno of it was the powder or no but they sure as hell all germinated quickly.
Thiram = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiram
Metalaxyl-M = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metalaxyl
I really wouldn't want to eat anything grown from seeds coated with those!!!
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Eurgh! Maybe I'll keep them sealed in the packet!