Kitchen Garden Forum

I've got several varieties dwarf and climbing french beans growing in various parts of the veg patch.

The lower leaves of them are suffering. The leaves get brown patches over them, almost like blight, turn yellow and finally the leaf viens are all that are left.

Is it lack of water, a disease or is something eating them? I can't see any critters on them?

All suggestions welcome.

Helix.

Now that the weather's been less rainy, have you been watering your beans much?

In a normal hot summer, I'd be watering French & Runner beans at least every other day. It's hard to say whether this is the cause of your problems (many growers on our allotment have weedy, late or problem beans). However it may be a factor.

Also, I put some liquid feed (eg. tomato feed, or some sort of seeweed supplement, like SM3) on at intervals.

Hope yours start coming back to life. If not, is it still worth sowing another batch? I bought 2 varieties from Seeds of Italy that said sow up to the end of July and they've raced away.


Colin

thanks Colin

I gave them a good feed yesterday.

Did you so your beans straight into the ground or start them off indoors?

Helix

helixdesign wrote:Did you so your beans straight into the ground or start them off indoors?

Hi Helix, I tend to start many plants off before transplanting them (though I can't guarantee this is necessarily good practice).

For beans, this seems to work well:
a) Because I start them in Root trainers, so I feel that gives them a good basis for later growth

b) Because many people have found that beans sown straight into the ground can prove irresistable for mice, birds & other creatures who treat them as a free lunch! Starting them off at home gives you a better chance to protect them until they're big enough for this not to matter.

Good luck with yours, Colin