What happened to my beans?!?

[Rusty]

I planted Blue Lake pole beans along a 6' high wire fence. They are planted in composted horse manure and shavings and were planted on May 6. Today the vines are so thick I cannot find the wire fence under them. They LOOK gorgeous BUT there is not a single bean on any of the plants. Not a bloom either. Nada. Nothing except big leaves.

I always thought beans were pretty foolproof. But there isn't even any sign--not even a tiny hint-- of anything to harvest. Where the heck are all my beans? They are planted right next to my cukes and those vines are loaded with both flowers and fruits. My squash are planted on the other side of the fence and the plants are nearly 6' tall themselves and the zucchini and yellow-necks are huge. We've eaten our fill and fed tons to the chickens. But no beans...not even one!

What did I do wrong?!?




Rusty

 

[thistlebloom]

Hi Rusty and welcome to TEG! My first guess on your bean problem was going to be too much nitrogen, but since you got such a resounding harvest from your other veggies I'll pass and let a smart person answer your question!

I like your avatar! Is that Rusty Zipper! I'm guessing he's a stallion?

 

[Rusty]

I like your avatar! Is that Rusty Zipper! I'm guessing he's a stallion?

Yep! That's my boy! Thanks for the kind words. Gee, can you tell he's the apple of my eye?




Rusty

 

[wsmoak]

How long ago did you plant them? Beans take *forever*. My pole beans are off the top of the 8' tipi and *just* now blooming. -Wendy

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm not a real smart person but I'll try. It could be too much nitrogen which can cause vine and leaf growth instead of them blooming and making fruit. Maybe.

Most years, my Blue Lake beans don't start setting beans until early August, even if they have been planted a long time and have grown pretty well. I don't know why. They are just that late here. I know you are further south than me, but don't give up hope too quick. I think there is still hope for you.

 

[Rusty]

This is good to know. I was getting ready to pull them all out. I figured why waste the space and the water on something that wasn't producing. But if they are just long season, then I guess I'd better wait awhile! My watermelons take forever too, but they are worth the wait! Yummmm.....

TY!


Rusty

 

[lesa]

Another person who should have ordered "patience" seeds!! Don't pull them out- they will get going soon! I am just seeing my first blooms on my bush beans and nothing on my pole beans... yet! Happy Gardening and Welcome!

 

[Greenthumb18]

Yes I say just be a little patient with them and they should start putting out some flowers and beans. When I plant my beans, peas, and peanuts I always use an inoculant whichs helps them with the yield.

Hope this helps!

 

[Rusty]

This has not been the best year for my garden. I replanted the corn 4 different times using 3 different varieties and yet I have MAYBE 10 stalks. That's all. So when the beans didn't do anything either, I was ready to write them off. We had terrible tornadoes here back on April 27, and I've been thinking that the heavy winds blew in a bunch of stuff that doesn't belong here and made us all kinds of gardening problems. For example, I have yet to see a bee this year, while last year we had so many you could hardly see the flowers because of all the bees busy working them! I haven't had fireblight in a lot of years, but this year the apple trees nearest the edge of the orchard that took the brunt of the storms are so covered in blight that they may not survive.

Gardening is never boring. There is always some new problem rearing its head that needs to be figured out and overcome.

sigh.


Rusty

 

[skeeter9]

Definitely don't give up, Rusty. I didn't think my beans were going to do anything either, then all of a sudden we have blooms and little baby beans everywhere. If you plant them, they will come!!!!