[Eightball]

I planted 12 Runner beans on the 20th April and 6 of them have come up and are pretty big now

2 of them look a bit stunted

The other four haven't poked through the soil but when I checked they have a really good looking root ball but no shoots.....

Anyone experienced this? Do you think they will come up or should I sow a few more as I planned to plant 10 outside. Also what might cause the weird looking plants in the 2nd and 3rd pictures.

Any help much appreciated.

[snowdrops]

Seed could have got damaged. I would sow a few more as they don't look survivors.

[azubah]

You do get some strange results sometimes. If they don't look healthy I throw them away.

[JayG]

It's not that unusual to get the odd bean seedling to emerge deformed or stunted - never found out why but I make sure I've sown enough to allow for the odd no-show or dud.

No idea why a few of yours have been reduced to just the stem, but the others are all very leggy and need more light - they will be very fragile and easily snapped off (by a cat, for instance?  )

Plenty of time to sow some more - if your existing plants survive you will then have achieved a succession, although you'll probably find the later ones almost catch the others up (I sow a few extra seeds when I plant out the indoor-raised plants, which achieves the same effect if the slugs don't get them!)

[snowdrops]

I will be sowing mine this weekend or next week as we go away a week on Saturday, still too cold to put them out before we go so I've delayed them. They will soon catch up.

[sunshineband]

When they are leggy like this can you plant them down deep?

[JayG]

It's difficult to raise runner bean plants indoors which aren't a bit leggy compared to how they grow when sown direct, and I do plant them out a little deeper to compensate for that and don't have problems. Make sure they're hardened off properly beforehand because very soft, juicy bean stems are slug-magnets!

[Salmo]

Beans with twisted up leaves like those are sometimes the result of the leaves struggling to get out of the seed case.
If the compost is on the dry side the case can get hard, often the seed case is lifted out of the soil when it should be left behind. This problem is non usually seen outside, probably something the do with central heating making the air dry.
If you see the seed cases starting to cause a problem spray them with water to make the cases soft an allow the leaves to escape.

[sunshineband]

It's difficult to raise runner bean plants indoors which aren't a bit leggy compared to how they grow when sown direct, and I do plant them out a little deeper to compensate for that and don't have problems. Make sure they're hardened off properly beforehand because very soft, juicy bean stems are slug-magnets!

They certainly are!  I am aiming to have them out on the plot by the end of next week, so I have made them outside today, even though it is raining