That´s a good set of questions! To sprout a bean plant, all you need is a consistently damp paper towel to wrap the seed in. It will put out a little shoot and roots if it is moderately wet and in dark conditions. To grow a bean plant, you want a pot of soil (at least) so it can expands its roots and use the soil nutrients to grow its shoot. It would need to get plenty of sunlight (for photosynthesis) and water. If you want a very healthy bean plant, it would probably do best planted in the ground, in soil supplemented with broken down compost or top soil from a store. That way it can fully expand its root system. You want to water the plant when the leaves begin to look a little droopy (due to loss of water pressure in the veins of the leaves) or when the soil is becoming dry to the touch, but do not overwater (the soil can become very saturated and rot the roots)!

Santa Barbara soils tend to be clayey, meaning that they clump up together, making it difficult to grow plants in because it restricts water and nutrient flow. Many farmers will till the soil, to mix it, and add compost or top soil to enrich it.

My field of expertise is in Ecology.