[stainesbloke]

Wondered if anyone could advise on why my French beans seem to be dying off? Put them in an allotment bed 3 weeks ago, am thinking that may have been too early? They have hardly grown at all, many have died off and the remaining plants don't look very healthy with stunted leaves and brown marks on their stems.

[Beetroot queen]

Mine have been out for about the same, although they don't seem to have grown much they look very healthy still.

[stainesbloke]

Mine were seedlings, I manured the bed and put in some fish/blood/bone, maybe too much?! Am gutted as they are meant to be easy to grow lol!

[wighty]

I put mine (must admit last years seeds) in pots in the greenhouse three weeks ago and only one has come up, I do have three others (out of 24) that are just beginning to show signs of life, will let them have this week of supposedly 'good' weather to decide what they are going to do, otherwise it's the new packet I have and this lot can go on the heap. Got to have beans or what do we eat in the winter?

[Baldy]

my beans have taken a bit of a kicking this year - Runners went in late and are the only ones that look healthy (though small) - berlottis etc. are a bit bigger but look stressed - they went in about 2 weeks ago so got hit by low temps. and lots of wind (windy site by the sea) - they may rec0ver 
Every year I say to myself - "don't plant too early don't plant too early" -  I was better behaved this year but might wait till August next year 
Guess if it was easy everyone would do it...
Cheers,
Balders

[alimilly]

I think they may have gone in a little early.  We did have a frost mid May which may have caught your beans     They are easy to grow and there is still time to start them again.

[stainesbloke]

Hehe, yes I'm certainly guilty of the 'plant out too early syndrome'! I reckon the freezing cold, gales and lashing hail of the last few weeks didn't help May pull them all up and start again now it's warmed up.

[maxibo]

You'll be fine to plant some more seeds now.  Get them in a propagator on a sunny windowsill - they'll grow in no time.

[Yorkie]

I agree that the gales, rain, hail, wind, snow, etc won't have helped!!

Just checking the other thing you mentioned - was the manure fresh or well rotted?

[stainesbloke]

I agree that the gales, rain, hail, wind, snow, etc won't have helped!!

Just checking the other thing you mentioned - was the manure fresh or well rotted?

Well rotted (the stuff u get in bags at the DIY store - I guess that is well rotted 'ready to use'?)

[GrannieAnnie]

I put my french beans out today and my runners a couple of days ago.  I always sow them in my greenhouse end of April or beginning of may and they are usually ready to plant out at the end of May.  I'm hoping they will be okay.

I did harden off my runners in my cold frame for a week or so, but they got a bit of sunburn.  They are growing well at the moment though.  Just hope we don't get any more frosts!

I did forget to sow my borlotti beans, so they have been in pots about a week, so still time to sow beans.

[Yorkie]

I agree that the gales, rain, hail, wind, snow, etc won't have helped!!

Just checking the other thing you mentioned - was the manure fresh or well rotted?

Well rotted (the stuff u get in bags at the DIY store - I guess that is well rotted 'ready to use'?)

Yep, that would be fine.

[J_B]

i had put in some to germinate but they did not...so finally ddug up yday and found they had been spoilt...so have to throw them out and plant more...can probablly jsut make it it

[grendel]

mine went straight into the plot, a few have had their leaves stripped by slugs, but a lot of what remains are still at the stalk and 2 leaves stage.
Grendel