[beatle2078]

For the second year in a row, despite being rotated and using different seed, our french beans have started to look deformed.  They were planted in root trainers and transplanted at about 6" high and looked really healthy.   We have planted one type of dwarf and two types of climbing, (one green and one purple)

They have been in the ground for about two weeks and the biggest leaves have gone yellow, they are really slow to grow and have twisted stunted leaves.   The manure that we have used has been used on other beds and the veg there are not deformed, so I don't think it is that.  Can anyone give any suggestions as to what might be happening and what we can do. 

Last year we did get some beans but they were strange shapes as well

[canwickplot]

My Frenchies went yellow as well, but they're starting to get some more colour in them now so not to worry. Don't they grow slow!! Thing is, last year I planted some in between broccoli plants and forgot about them for a couple of months, only to find that they had blossomed at some point and started sprouting beautiful long pods. I think they need prolonged rises in temperature to get them motivated. Fingers crossed for some more of the recent heat.

[Yorkie]

Mine always go yellow after planting but I'm interested in the deformed leaves, which is more unusual.

Do you have a picture?

And what is the veg planted in other beds, which is unaffected?

[realfood]

I would suspect contaminated manure.

[Yorkie]

I would suspect contaminated manure.

That's why I asked what the other veg is - not all plants are affected.

Other options can include weedkiller damage, aphid damage when leaves young, or something else which I can't think of at present.

[beatle2078]

Thanks very much for the reply.  We have used manure from the same stables on the potatoes which are romping away, and also on the sweetcorn which is struggling a bit, but on our soil which is very heavy clay is not really surprising.  I will try and get a picture but it will be a few days before I can get down to the site again.  When I do get one, how do I upload a photo to this site

ALso what puzzles me is that we had the same problem last year

[Goosegirl]

What a puzzler! I would have thought aminopyralid - but your potatoes seem ok so I think that's not it. My other thought is weedkiller effects, however slight. If you store your bean seeds well away from weedkiller containers and seed pots, wash hands and watering cans or sprayers after using any - good; have you rotated your  plots - if so, it can't be soil contamination of some sort. Any other plants showing the same effects including flowers - if not and it's just the beans, I wonder if they are more susceptible to something that other plants don't seem to be as much. I'm sure it's contamination of some sort. Try bunging in some in pots of compost and see if they show the same effects. Sorry I can't help more. Let us know if your pots do ok.

[bradleyt]

What of soil are you planting them in? Almost sounds as if you may have to much iron or some sort of nitrate compound or other harsh soil.

[mr tibbs]

hi all
 i also have probs with my dwarf french beans,sad looking yellowish tinge to the leaf.
 tatties were in the same ground last year and the leaves also turned yellowish.
 me thinks there is lack of mineral or nutrient in this piece of ground.how do you check ?.
                             thanx tibbs

[beatle2078]

There was a lot of well rotted manure put into the bed.  Someone has suggested that this might be the problem, but we have only done what we always do!

[Yorkie]

With regard to manure, quite a few people have had problems this year where they have previously not done so.  That is because the herbicide aminopyralid has made its way into their manure for the first time this year.

However, if you have used identical manure on your beans and potatoes it is unlikely to be the source of your problems as both veggies are susceptible and should both be showing symptoms of curled and distorted leaves if the herbicide is present.

Hence us wondering about other sources of damage.

[beatle2078]

The potaotes look beautiful, no sign of anything, infact full health I would say.  We are totally baffled about why for 2 years in a row they have gone awry.  We grow organically and do not add anything to our beds apart from manure where necessary.

[Yorkie]

Are you rotating your veggies around the plot or growing them in the same place?

Are you growing any other legumes (peas beans) on the plot and, if so, are they ok?

Are you using new seed each year?

[beatle2078]

We grow in raised beds and operate a strict rotation policy so that no legumes will be in the same bed for 4 years.   

We haven't grown any other legumes this year, we did grow peas last year and they were not particularly productive, but were generally healthy.

Because of the problems last year we started with new seed this year as well.

Keep asking, somehting will twig

[Yorkie]

Hmm.  Running out of options 

What about the soil used to fill the beds - was it imported?  If so, do you know its source?  If it's from the plot, do you know the history of the plot - what your predecessor grew on it, etc?

I don't suppose you've seen any aphids, grubs or other tiny things which could be piercing the leaves and thus causing distortion?

Or possibly bean mosaic virus, which can cause the leaves to become mottled yellow or crinkled?

A picture would really help.m