Re: BEANS

Dear Tika-
   Of all the seeds you could try this with, beans are probably the best as 
they are very fast growing.  Once you have planted them they need a few 
days to soak up water and get ready to start growing.  After perhaps four 
to five days you should get the first root coming out of the seed, with the 
first shoot coming out a few days later.  Within two weeks you should have 
a baby bean plant, complete with leaves and roots.  All this is dependant 
on temperature (keep them at the sort of temperature you'd feel comfortable 
at), and they need lots of light and to be watered well (don't drown them 
in water - if they're under water they'll die!).  If you want to watch the 
seed germinate, try putting a roll of blotting paper inside a glass and 
filling the glass a quarter full of water.  If you sandwich some seeds 
between the glass and the paper to hold them there, they'll be able to get 
their water from the paper, and you can watch them grow through the glass.
   Watering plants with baking soda or vinegar will probably affect the way 
they grow.  Baking soda is very alkaline, and vinegar is very acidic - both 
these will alter the way the roots of the plant take up minerals.  Usually 
plants like a nice neutral soil (not basic or acidic), so adding vinegar or 
baking soda won't make them very happy, probably because they're getting 
not enough or too much nutrient of one sort or another.  Plants need very 
different sorts of food to us - all they need are a few minerals and water 
- they make all their food from sunlight.  Most of the stuff you find in 
the kitchen probably won't help them much, and may kill them if you add too 
much.  Why not try an experiment with your beans?

Hope this helps,
All the best,  Carl