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Description of the Germination of a Bean Seed

A bean seed needs exposure to certain conditions, primarily water and the right temperature, to emerge from dormancy and begin growing. Once it does, the process takes about seven days before a plant develops.
  1. Structure

    • A bean seed consists of two halves, called cotyledons, that contain moisture and nutrients, or endosperm, for germination to begin. Between the halves is an embryo, or tiny plant.

    Temperature

    • Soil temperature must be warm before a bean seed can germinate. Optimal temperatures for this to occur are 85 degrees Fahrenheit for lima and 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit for others.

    Water

    • When water enters a small hole, called a micropyle, in the seed coat, the seed swells until the cotyledons split in half.

    Root and Shoot

    • A radicle, or root, emerges from the micropyle and burrows down into the soil while the shoot, or plumule, begins to grow upward.

    Plant

    • The root continues to develop, serving as an anchor and beginning to draw nutrients and water from the soil. The shoot pushes through the surface and then develops leaves needed for continued plant growth.