Alright, so the Vegetable Gardener’s Bible, which I’ve found both helpful and wrong, says beans germinate at 75-85F. soil temp, but can be sown outside when soil temps reach 60F. And they grow best at 60-65F. soil temps.
Huh?
Rodale’s Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening says to sow beans when soil temps are at least 60F. It says “don’t soak or pre-sprout seeds,” then says you can start them in peat pots indoors and transplant out 4 weeks later, or sow outside a week or two after last frost.
So there’s our experts checking in.
So what is Mad Dog Fossel going to do? Pre-sprout them indoors, of course (or a bunch of them). amd plant outdoors when soil temps close in on 60F. (which may be July at this rate).
I’ve never tried this, but hey — where are the bean police?
LIFEGROWER: Be happy. Grow stuff. 
Haven’t you got enough to do and now soaking beans???? We had snow here in Pa yesterday.
LOL!
I’ve been planting with Eli (age 7), and our general philosophy has been that we put seeds in the ground when we feel like it and generally mark sorta where they are and then we wait to see if they grow and hope we didn’t plant them too close together. I realize this approach is more scientific than may be comfortable for many readers, but it just seems kind of iffy to trust soil temperatures and such when there are children in the family to handle timing and organization.
Thank goodness the bean police don’t make it by our place often.
I know it is right in the middle of the growing season, but looking for more posts 🙂