French Gold pole beans - trouble with starts

Sheena Gardner · August 2014

I started these beans from seed and they were thriving until I transplanted them into a bed. The soil I used was pretty mulchy so I mixed it with some compost and transplanted my starts. The leaves began to yellow and the veins of leaves turned brown, I cut them off and new leaves came in green and healthy, but quickly became yellow, brown and holey. I don't know what to do at this point, the growth is stunted and the new green leaves continue to deteriorate. Any suggestions?

There are 2 photos attached.

Dovefromabove · August 2014

Whereabouts are you Sheena? That looks to me as if they could be suffering from cold and wet conditions.

Sheena Gardner · August 2014

I'm in San Diego, zone 9. Right now it's hot and dry. I thought it could be overwatering, but I eased up quite a bit and they are still not growing normally.

Dovefromabove · August 2014

Hi Sheena

Most of us are based in the UK - French Gold pole bean is not a commonly grown variety over here and although we've had a (for us) hot and dry summer, I suspect that it's not as hot and dry as yours.

I suspect you may be right about the over-watering. Beans need plenty of water, but they need a lot at later stages when they're flowering and setting beans - not really so much early on.

I think you'll find it helpful to ask around locally as conditions, diseases and pests over here are quite different to the ones where you are.

However, I'd like to wish you good luck with your beans - I love beans and am growing two varieties this season - Buerre de Rocquencourt (a yellow wax bush bean) and Emergo, a white-flowered runner (pole) bean. The wax beans are cropping well - they're a variety recommended for the cooler temperatures we have over here - and the Emergo are just beginning to set some beans. I have to make room in my freezer!

It would be interesting to know how you get on with your beans - good luck

French Gold pole beans - trouble with starts

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