Poor Runner Beans

[supertramp]

My runner beans are not looking good, bottom leaves are yellow and although they are climbing the leaves are small and a very pale green, the plants themselves are also very spindly.

I manured the trenches well early in the year something I have not done in the past and have always had an excellent crop, I feel like pulling the lot and starting again with another variety from the one sown. i.e. Best Of All.

Any ideas or advice would be appreciated.


Thanks

[vegnut]

Hi supertramp. Did you sow straight into their growing position or grow them in pots/tubes and transfer them once they reached a good size. Also have you been watering them well enough.

[supertramp]

Hi Vegnut

Sown in pots and planted out, have been watering although after all that rain not requiring much although now we have a dry spell have now started again.

[Cloud]

As they were grown in pots were they kept in a greenhouse and if so did you harden them off?

[supertramp]

Yes - Hardened off gradually over 3 weeks before planting out.

[Cloud]

Could be the bloomin weather dunno what its been like up there but cold and wet down here.

[vegnut]

Hi and yes its as Cloud says, it could quite easily be the weather. You could wait a while and see if they pick up, and/or you could grow some more in pots outside just in case ready to go in, if necessary. Whats the worst thing that can happen (make some more wigwams with the extras ). Just out of interest, what kind of manure did you use supertramp.

[supertramp]

The manure was purchased at the local garden centre. Westland Organic 4yr old manure. Not sure how you tell the age? I have sown some Enorma into pots as a precaution, will just have to wait & see.

Thanks for your replies though.

[rustylady]

I would leave them and see what happens. Mine looked very sad when first put out, but now climbing the canes and looking better. The weather has been awful so far, so they will probably recover when it warms up a bit. At least if they are growing they should produce a crop (you don't really need lush leafy growth as plants produce seed (beans) to reproduce themselves.

[supertramp]

Just got home from work and whilst watering the runners I have more plants with the lower leaves turning and/or turned Yellow.

[Cloud]

Wouldn't worry mate as long as the tops look ok and they are growing you should be ok.

[Starchild]

Try some seaweed fertiliser, it's organic and fabulous.
It'll give them a kick.

[finney]

supertramp,
I think they will be ok,i planted out early may,protected from the wind and cold with bubble rap to keep them warm,now i have flowers on them hopefully i might get a first crop soon,when you have flowers on them try watering the soil not the plant with tomato feed once a week,i think you will do o.k

Finney

[finney]

supertramp,
some of my leaves near the bottom are yellow,it might be the colour they go when hot weather is about.

Finney

[Pumpkin Becki]

I mine are exactly the same Supertramp, and in fact this also what they did last year.

I grew them in root-trainers, put them in the lottie when they were looking lovely and healthy, and now they look like they are about to drop dead. I've given them a good feed with 'worm wee' from my wormery, and if they continue to behave like last years crop, I'll be picking pounds and pounds of runners next month.

Don't worry, they will come good, but as insurance, you could pop a bean seed in next to each plant. They will soon catch up as the weather improves.