[erainn]

Hi I am a newbie to growing veg and need some advice. I sowed indoors some dwarf french runners beans, which germinated and produced a number of healthy seedlings, which are now about 6/7 inches high. Living in Sussex and have tried putting out in our south-facing garden, but I notice if they are in the sun for around 30 minutes the leaves wilt. I thought it may have been a water issue, yet they have the same reaction if its cloudy skies too or cool. Seems they are very sensitive, any help would be most welcome.

[JayG]

Did you harden them off before planting them out? Bit of a shock for them if you didn't.

It's not unusual for beans to wilt in the heat at first; their roots haven't quite caught up with the demands from the leaves but they will.

[prakash_mib]

probably needs a bit of tlc and slow hardening off. start with an hour and increase by half an hour/day for a week.
I sowed my dwarfs couple of days ago and they will be going out straightaway tomorrow morning regardless of their sprouting status.

[erainn]

thanks for the helpful suggestions, I have tried on and off to leave them out for a short while, but on seeing them wilt tend to bring them back indoors where they revive quickly

[gillie]

I presume these are still in pots.  Try knocking one out to see if it has healthy roots.

If it does, I suggest the beans are being stressed by the wind.  Try putting them out behind some kind of a windbreak until they harden up a bit.

If all else fails just put them out.  I guess they will recover in a day or so.

Gillie

[erainn]

Many thanks for that idea, yes I'm growing them in pots, I shall try your suggestion.

[erainn]

Tried those various helpful suggestions about the leaves on our French Dwarf Runner Beans wilting, I may have this wrong but it looks as though the leaves do not like full sun, as after just 20 minutes or so they get really soft, curl up and droop. I did make sure they were watered, but they only recovered once I returned them indoors into the shade.

I had read that these vegetables were semi-tropical, and on that knowledge thought thye would be sun-lovers, now I am wondering if in fact they prefer shady conditions. Does anyone have any good information/advice on this?

[stompy]

Although they have top growth the roots won't be big enough to supply the top plant with enough water to counteract the evaporation from the leaves. if you know what i mean?
Just keep them in light shade for a week or so and they should gain enough roots to cope.

[erainn]

That's great information which I was unaware of, will certainly give that a go, I'm keeping them in large pots, so can move them around.

[JayG]

I hadn't realised in my first reply that you were still hardening them off, but it makes no difference; they will eventually be quite deep-rooted plants and therefore quite good at finding enough water, but being only babies at the moment, as I said before, they're not.

They'll be fine once hardened off, planted out and start putting down roots; location-wise they like a sunny and sheltered spot.

[erainn]

That's really kind of you, thanks so much for that help.