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Runner beans just planted look sick
simonwb
Posts: 11
in Fruit & veg
Planted 4 days ago. Healthy runner bean plugs. Put into soil with some plant food. Set to be watered twice a day for 10 mins. Surrounded each plug with barrier of sharp sand to keep slugs and snails off.
7/10 plants look like this but are now showing some new growth. Still don't look well.
Have I over watered? Plant food too strong for young roots? Soil too acid?
Last edited: 01 June 2016 22:34:49
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If planted in the ground they should only need to be watered when planted out, you are over watering.
I only water them once every week and if so, depends on the rain.
Thank you!! Will stop over watering.
I'd say it's cold damage, simon.
Hi Aster2, that is interesting. It has felt very cold here recently and night time temperatures have been down to 9-10 - would this be cold enough to cause damage. There has also been very strong winds. I wonder if wind could also cause this kind of damage?
And a few weeks ago it was all summery in the garden and I was getting my t-shirts out!
I should say we are in the South East, near Seaford on the downs.
simon, I don't know, that doesn't sound that low, but I'm very new to gardening. I just had a similar problem on my French beans and saw it on someone else's runner beans (we had 6 degrees C a week ago) and an advisor in a GC told me it was cold damage. Did you harden your beans off before you put them out? If they'd not been hardened off enough, I suppose 9 degrees C might be enough to give them a check. Those leaves will obviously stay damaged, but new growth should be fine.
That's a lovely area around Seaford! I've done a lot of hiking there on the downs and I keep returning there when I can.
I posted without seeing the picture, it didn't show on my phone. Having now seen the picture, I'd agree with frost damage, although watering twice a day is excessive.They usually only need further watering after planting out, during prolonged dry spells.
Thanks 1Runnybeak. I will get some fleece and wrap them up...down to 15 today, then up to 22 on Sunday! I think my mistake was not hardening them off before planting.
Thanks Aster2 - yes, I think my mistake was not hardening them off. If I had done that I think they would have been ok. The new growth is coming through reasonably well. Might have lost a couple, but planted more than I needed, so should be ok.
The slight problem with hardening them off is that I receive them as plugs from Suttons in the post and they are all in a tray, so I need to plant them fairly soon after receiving them. Next time I will pot them up and can bring them in at night.
It is beautiful round here and we love walking the downs. Will be even nicer without the cold winds come the weekend!