A desaster . . .

[CJS]

Yep . . . got it all wrong, I think. Got hold of some Blood, Fish and Bone . . . treated it like bone meal, a sprinkle in the planting hole, fork it in, then the plant on top!!! healthy plants, in particular, runner and French climbing beans, really healthy out of the green house, couple of days in the ground, 'burned leaves'!!!!

Close look at the BF&B, there seems to be what looks like salt crystals in it, then I heard a passing reference to BF&B as a top dressing Have I got it all wrong . . . 36 runner bean plants, 3 tomato plants, 3 courgettes, all suffering, the toms and beans are goners!!

Fortunately I had some spare toms, dug out the originals 'ring culture', forked the ground, and disposed of the soil in the rings. Replanted the new toms with fresh compost.

The beans are a different proposition . . . the instructions say I can plant seeds until July . . . so plan is, sow a new batch, did that this afternoon, take out all the sticks and old plants, re dig the patch, (not got any other space) to disperse the concentration of BF&F, water a lot! Re set the canes and replant when the new seeds grow?

Anyone confirm, that my diagnosis is right and my remedial actions is the best way forward???

CJS

[Nature's Babe]

Oh CJS, I'm so sorry to hear about your disaster, all those plants wasted, what a shame, it sounds like you have done your best to correct it. I never add stuff direct just to the compost when I use mulch, I just feed the soil not the plants, and my plants never complain, in fact they are all thriving even in this long drought we have had here in the S East.

[Geoff]

If you haven't used it to excess it should be perfectly safe to do as you have done. I use it when I make my own potting mixes from soil, leafmould and sand as the base fertiliser and am successfully growing Tomatoes in it. All the tubs we grow annuals in are filled with all sorts of second use potting mixes then similarly given a new life with some FBB, they are also prospering (apart from still being under cover or the relentless wind and heavy showers would shred them like it has the bit of bedding I planted out).
I think you have either used too much or not mixed it in well or another possibility, could you have watered with a contaminated (weedkiller) can?

[CJS]

Thanks for the replies . . . weed killer contaminated can? dont use weed killer . . . not mixed in well enough, a possibility along with being to direct and over generous, killed with kindness . . .

The replies indicate that removing the bean canes, dig over bed, replace and plant out with new bean plants is likely to work . . .

Phew . . . thanks, making a lot of extra work, but I have learned by my mistake!

Planting the greenhouse today, bit late but the plants to go in are strong, no BF&B . . . perhaps a light sprinkle of bone meal well dug in. The good side is my brassicas are going really well, despite the BF&B and I've got some courgettes that look like triffids! 2011 is going to be a year of lessons learned . . .

CJS

[glallotments]

Just a lateral thought - has it been really windy since you planted out your beans - could it be wind burn?

[CJS]

Just a lateral thought - has it been really windy since you planted out your beans - could it be wind burn?

Well its certainly been windy, very windy, never though of that 'Gallotment'?

This is average state of runners for the moment, they are trying, but some are worse!!! . . . ?


I had a think, this is my Swiss Chard, not seen any BF&B . . . ?


What do you think peoples?

End on a good note, this is my greenhouse after efforts this morning, the remaining 3 sweet pepper plants in foreground after the slug onslaught a couple of weeks ago!



Then its the 3 Beef Toms (Pineapple), was not going to do any in the green house this year, but as I had the space (reduced pepper count!) I had not got the heart to dump them. Four commercially bought sweet peppers, to make up the numbers . . . 3 Melon plants and a Crystal Apple cucumber.

The plan is, the bottom end of the green house is 'bone dry', let two of the melons creep out over that, and the third 'Sweetheart' can climb into the vine? Thats the plan . . . with my luck this year, they will probably turn into triffids and punish me . . .

CJS

[alan refail]

Hi CJS

That definitely looks like wind damage on the runners - they should grow on.

[CJS]

Hi CJS

That definitely looks like wind damage on the runners - they should grow on.

Unfortunately half the 30 od plants are all but dead the rest are in the state of the pictured plant, most seem to have stopped growing! However, I have sowed a new lot of seed, if this is wind damage, I wont have to remove the canes a dig the bed again . . . probably wise to fork around the base of the poles to spread the BF&B to be on the safe side, then replant the new seedlings, when the wind is not blowing!!! . . . does that sound like a plan anybody?

CJS

[oldherbaceous]

I agree about wind damage, the growing tips of the plants look fine.

[Parsons Jack]

Hi CJS,

When you re-plant the beans, it might be a good idea to make a fleece or debris netting fence around the bean site. A couple of feet high, just to give them a bit of protection from the wind until they are established

[Monika]

I agree about the wind damage as we have ample experience in it. Did you harden the plants off sufficiently, CJS? As I said just now in another thread, I am only just going to plant out the runner/French/dwarf beans and they have been outside for about a fortnight now with as much shelter as possible, at first just during the day and the last week also overnight. Even so, they will be supported with a "shelter fleece" to keep the elements off to a certain extent, like Parsons Jack has suggested. I think beans are very touchy about cold winds.

Unless you really used lots and lots of it, I don't think the Fish, Blood and Bone would do that sort of damage.

[CJS]

Looks like I did not do enough of the hardening off either . . . ? We live and learn, mooooor hardening . . . The new bean patch site is more open than the old one . . . more sun, but more exposed!!!

Thanks for the input all, at least I dont have to re dig the patch . . .

CJS

[John P]

CJS,I have had much the same problem with my runners,bottom two or three leaves dying or burned.I put this down to local cats peeing on them or stray weedkiller from nearby gardens,never thought of wind damage as Alan points out. Growing tips look healthy,so Iam going to wait another week or so to give them the chance to recover.I discounted fertiliser problems as this was dug in early March. JP.

[CJS]

CJS,I have had much the same problem with my runners,bottom two or three leaves dying or burned.I put this down to local cats peeing on them or stray weedkiller from nearby gardens,never thought of wind damage as Alan points out. Growing tips look healthy,so Iam going to wait another week or so to give them the chance to recover.I discounted fertiliser problems as this was dug in early March. JP.

John, I've got all basses covered now . . . sowed another 36 seeds at the weekend, left the few plants that have the 'growing tip' to perk up and get growing, and, . . . I put a fresh seed at the base of each poll (36 polls) thats two and a half chances . . . I've given up on the idea of 3 different varieties this year . . . just a few beans would be nice . . .

CJS

[glallotments]

WE don't plant out runner beans 'til June as even without wind they suffer if the temperature drops and we have had some cold nights in May. Our first French beans that are out first often go through a dodgy patch before they start to grow away - we have almost pulled them up - forgotten to and then found they have grown into really strong plants