Kitchen Garden Forum

Three weeks ago I planted some dwarf runner beans called Blue Lake. I started them in 3" pots and when they were large enough I transplanted them into their growing position.

Three weeks later they had not grown at all but had all gone yellow and looked very sick. I watered them with feed and I also had put some well rotted manure in the bottom of the hole.

When I looked at the seed packet I realised that they were old seeds which I had missed so I dug up the plants and transplanted some very healthy dwarf runner beans in their place called hestia. That was Wednesday. Yesterday my healthy bean plants are now starting to look sick and I really dont know why. Any suggestions.

Last year now I think about it I planted some sweet peas inthe same place and they all died without doing much. Any suggestions?

This is a first. No replies to my posting. Has no one else got this problem? They are still looking sick.

You could try spraying them with Epsom Salts, that cured my yellow leaved beans last year.

Thanks Chantal What is the dilution of Epsom salts in water. I will try it as most of my beans are looking a bit sick.

I'm beginning to wonder if some of the cheaper brands of potting compost are responsible for some of the problems we're having. I don't know whether the suppliers buy bulk loads of it from Council Waste/Composting facilities and bag it up, but it occurs to me that if they do, the raw product could contain all kinds of nasties, including garden material and lawn clippings which could have been treated with weedkiller, and other pesticides. I've had quite poor results with some seedlings this year and wonder whether this is the problem.

My French beans are looking very yellow and sad as well. I wondered if it could be the cold weather.
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Granny

I can't recall the dilution, I think it said something on the box. This was the thread from last year

viewtopic.php?t=4337

have a look at the picture I posted to check it's the same thing as it may be something else.

I looked in this section as I have a similar problem with both Runner Beans (Butler) and Climbing French Beans (Cobra). These are interpersed with each other and some Sweet Peas. The Sweet Peas look fine - they were raised and planted out earlier and took some time to get going. And this is in a different plot from my usual one as the last couple of years the Runners haven't done that well - though none looked as bad as these.

But in another plot I have Dwarf (supposedly) French Beans Purple Queen and they look ok and are just about to flower. They were raised early in the greenhouse to come into cropping before the runners. These supposedly Dwarves do climb as I found out last year and need support.

Maybe I try some Epsom salts as well but I rather doubt that is the solution.

Colin - I noticed some of the leaves on my climbing French Beans were looking a little pal & yellow Last week I gave them a good dose of liquid Sequestered Iron & Seaweed feed which I normally use for my azaleas and they do now seem to be looking a little better.

I wonder if it's just the cool nights we have had? I planted some French beans early in June, immediately sowed some more (same variety) and was surprised that, when I planted them out on Saturday, that the ones which had already spent a fortnight on the allotment had turned quite yellow compared with the newly grown ones which were deep green.

Do you think the ground needs a little lime, I know if my beans are looking alittle yellow a scattering of lime always perks them up, it certainly won't do them any harm,
Gracie.

It seems that yellow leaves on Runners and French Beans are a result of the weather. Terry Walton from the Rhondda on the Jeremy Vine show on Friday was feeding his very yellow leaves with dilute Sheep manure and I have just come back from the National Botanic Gardens of Wales - about 10 miles away - where their Beans were even yellower than mine. But the Peas - Sweet and Edible seemed ok. Having said that my Sugar Ann Mangetout have certainly suffered though Greenshaft peas in the same row are blooming.