Problems with beans

[Littlefox2000]

Hi everyone,

I got an allotment back in May this year and most things are going well and I'm having fun learning as I go. However, I am really struggling with my climbing beans, peas and broad beans. I've googled for information on the problems but its really not clear what's happened to them.

Most of my broad bean plants, the leaves haven't unfurled properly and the flowers look chewed. I was worried it was blackfly, and have sprayed them regularly and pinched out the growing tips, to no avail. I have had some broad beans from the plants, but even then, a lot of the pods look malformed and I don't think I'm getting the crop I should, if they were healthy plants. My broad beans are in two different beds next to each other and both lots are impacted by the same thing.

Then in one of the broad bean beds, I've got my climbing beans and peas. I grew borlotti beans, French bean (purple cascade) and climbing pea (aldermans). I grew them in root trainers and they looked so healthy before I planted them out. Basically as soon as I planted them out, they just seemed to go down hill. The next sets of leaves were tiny and crumpled-looking. The purple cascade look like the top third have no leaves whatsoever. They took ages to grow up the beans netting and look a bit pathetic now. I got a small amount of purple cascade beans when I got back from a weeks holiday, but I think that's it for the year. And I'm sure they should be carrying on and producing a lot more. I also have some dwarf French beans (Mont D'Or) in the same bed and they are cropping like crazy. Oh and as for my climbing peas, I lost quite a few plants and then few that are left aren't really producing much. I think I've had 4 pods from about 4 plants so far.

My googling made me think it might be aphids, but I've hunted on the plants and can't see any.

I'd be grateful for any advice. I don't have any pics at the moment, but could post some later, if this would be helpful. I realise that it's too late to resolve this year, but I'd love to understand how to avoid this for next year.

Thanks in advance, LF

[zazen999]

Was your soil manured?

I suspect your broadies may have been too hot; and maybe your frenchies too cold? When did you plant each out?

[Littlefox2000]

Hi Zazen,

We created raised beds at our site and filled the ones for the beans with a combination of well rotted manure and top soil. I'm looking back at my seed planting list (which I didn't keep very up to date). I think the beans and peas went out around the end of June. It was about a week or so after I watched my neighbours plant out their runner, so I thought I was safe. I think the broad beans were planted out mid June.

[arpoet]

Seems a bit late for broad beans. All beans are water lovers, and raised beds tend to drain too fast in my opinion.
Runner beans are easier to grow than climbing French beans. Never grown borlotti beans.
I always start beans off inside and plant out when condition are right. This years crop is a good few weeks behind normal, but are coming on a treat and very sweet and tasty.
Roger

[zazen999]

The reason I asked about the manure was that it could be contaminted.

Could you post some photos of the leaves/stems that are not growing?

[Littlefox2000]

Here's some pictures of my broad beans and beans.

I started my broad beans off on 20th May in a greenhouse.

I'm now suspecting manure contamination. None of these plants were okay as soon as they went in the ground. Plus I lost a series of melon seedling in a cold frame that had the same soil mix.

[zazen999]

That's contaminated manure. Sorry...

Is there any of it anywhere else?

[Littlefox2000]

It's everywhere in 9 of 10 raised beds. Only bed its not in is the carrot one. But everything else is doing okay pretty much. It's only impacted my beans and the melons.

What should I do? Do I need to empty the bed once everything is finished and replenish with okay soil and manure?

[zazen999]

I think now it's there, you have to keep rotavating and eventually it will stop affecting things.

[Littlefox2000]

Thanks for your help and advice. I'll be rotovating this autumn. Next year I'll plant the stuff that didn't seem to be impacted (rotating as I go of course). But as I know beans, peas, carrots, potatoes, lettuce and tomatoes are the most impacted - I'm going to try to plant these in uncontaminated areas. I've also just got a new plot so I'll put some of these crops in fresh ground. I am quite gutted that this has happened. But on the positive side, this means I am not a total failure when it comes to peas and beans. Plus I have got a small amount of crop from them. I spotted some new purple beans growing today. I'm just going to feed and water alot.

Thanks again! So glad I have this forum to come to and get advice and help from.

[Two_Sheds]

Runner beans are easier to grow than climbing French beans. Never grown borlotti beans.

I have equal success with all of them, but runners do prefer cooler conditions than French (borlotti is a type of French bean, same as kidney bean: they're all phaseolus vulgaris). French beans can tolerate hotter drier conditions.

I also grow butter beans, soya beans, chick peas and lentils.

[Chippy Minton]

But on the positive side, this means I am not a total failure when it comes to peas and beans.

You're not a failure in this game, we just learn, you've got experience and now have opportunities to do something different, which basically may or may not work depending on the weather, the various pests and diseases, time, patience......... Evert year is different, every year we learn.....

[Littlefox2000]

You're not a failure in this game, we just learn, you've got experience and now have opportunities to do something different, which basically may or may not work depending on the weather, the various pests and diseases, time, patience......... Evert year is different, every year we learn.....

Hi Chippy Minton, thanks for your message! I absolutely agree. I guess I just meant that even though I've got contaminated manure, my actual pea and bean seedlings were fine (before i planted them out) and I'm pleased to have got some crops. Lesson learned and I will have another go next year with hopefully a little more experience under my belt. I absolutely love this growing malarkey. I've learned so much this year...and this is only the very beginning.

P.S. I was wondering if anyone could tell me...now that I know it's pretty likely I have contaminated manure, would it be a good idea to feed my beans and peas more frequently? They clearly need all the help they can get, but is it possible to over feed and hurt them even more?

[Two_Sheds]

If you over-feed a plant, you're likely to produce lots of lush green foliage (at the expense of pods) and that foliage is very susceptible to snail and aphid attack (blackfly, on beans).

[Littlefox2000]

Thanks Two Sheds! I'll carry on feeding in moderation. My borlottis are looking like they're improving and doing pretty well. Lots of big pods growing. And although it's my purple beans which look the worst, I'm seeing some mini beans and some new flowers, even if they look a bit skeletal with no leaves.