pole bean question

My pole beans are coming up, but most of them (all but one) have very pale leaves and I don't know why. They are in a raised bed, interplanted with morning glories (which have come up but are not growing) and are behind marigolds and strawberries. I planted the bed that way because I read these were a good companion combination. The strawberries are producing, the marigolds are blooming. Should I add some epsom salts? Or just give myself a dose of patience?

TIA!

Try the Salt are they geting Sun? Paul

How old are the bean plants?
Do they have more than just their cotyledons?
What kind are they?
Have you been getting big-time rainfall or over-watering?
What did you amend the soil with before planting?

Those are things to consider before trying to narrow down the problem.

Holler back, brigidlily. I bet we can figure this out.

Shoe

Thanks -- this is a picture of my tomato/carrot/monarda/basil bed, and to the left you can see the bean/morning glory/marigold/strawberry bed. They are shaded during the morning, but get full sun for several hours and as the sun shifts north they will have full sun all day. They're 6-8 weeks growing, and all I remember is "pole beans" (sorry). I amended the soil with a bag of humus I got at W/Mart. We've been getting a good solid rain every couple of weeks, and I don't water much. Part of me wants to water them more, especially since they're in a raised bed, and part of me is afraid that will wash away what they need.

The soil below them is what the builders filled the holes with after they took down every tree within spitting distance. gggrrrrrrrrrr... There is compost in there as well, and some topsoil, and I have worked on this area enough for there to be worms taking up residence.

There is a certain chance that the cats decided this would make a good litter box before the seeds came up. (The strawberries and marigolds were plugs I put in, the beans and morning glories sown.)

Tomatoes Look Good the Beans look Small for six to eight weeks old keep the soil lose around the beans try adding some fertlizer 6 6 6 what kind of soil do you have ?

Thanks...and nice pics, by the way!

Six to eight weeks ago I would think yous soil was still a bit cool, wasn't it? (I'm not familiar with Texas weather or what part of Texas you are in, sorry.) If so that will often have an effect on beans, even to the point of stunting their growth. From what I've read, but never experienced yet, the first few hours the seeds are in the soil really determines quite a lot.

Your mention of the backfill the builders through in they holes may come into play though. If it was of a too acidic or too alkaline pH that would come into play as some beans, runner beans, have a tap root and perhaps that has grown into the backfill?

If you're not overwatering and feel you have well-drained soil I think I'd recommend a good side-dressing with nitrogen and phosphorus. If you have good compost that will help but will be a slow release. For a "quicker picker upper" you might want to go with some fish emulsion as a foliar spray and then dump any extra you have mixed up at the root system. If you're not averse to using blood meal (nitrogen) that will also help get them growing again.

Hoping you can save those beans. Looks like a nice set up you have there! (Hope those cats leave it alone, too!)

Shoe

Fish emulsion sounds like a good idea; I've used it before with good results. phicks, the soil is slightly acid as a whole -- this is the piney woods -- and except for what I've done is basically clay with sand on top. I'll loosen it up this evening. GENTLY.

Well, if I planted too early and that stunts them, not much I can do but be a little wiser next spring! If I had started them in peat pots and transplanted them it probably would have been better. Thanks for the advice, both of you!

I have four raised beds set up there, and hope to expand that to eight next year. I got so eager, finally having a yard again, that I've been hasty and should have spent more time amending the soil. If nothing else, I figure growing things will help the soil, though I may not have the bean harvest I'd like. This morning I noticed the beans were putting out feelers to grab the fencing behind them, so, I may get a whole dinner out of this crop if I'm lucky. Better than nothing, and it will increase the compost pile!

Try Useing Some Texas Tea

oil?

brigid - my thought as weel :) (by the way we share a similar version of our names)

LOL No Cow Manure Water Put some in a 5 gallon bucket let it soak a few days then stir it up and just add some to your Vegies Paul

Ah! I was pretty sure you meant something other than petroleum!

Sonoita, what's our similarity?

My name is Bridgett :)

Ah! Well howdy, Bridgett! My Brigid is a rescued dog we saved from a puppy mill in Vidor, Texas. She's the queen.

As she should be! :)

We have had an unusually cool spring. Every time we turn around it is 27, 37, 43.
The ground is not warm. My beans are up and also in a raised bed but nothing is growing like it normally does. Last spring/summer we got 54 inches of rain in about 6 weeks. More than twice the normal for the whole year. That was after a 5 year total drought. Afraid to contemplate what this summer will be.

Christi

This picture was on the 12th. I am the queen of epsom salts so I never know if that is what does the trick for sure or not. Mitch brought the bed springs for the "pole". They are taking to it pretty good.

ok i gotta ask what epson salt is for? never heard of using it in gardening. or is it a name for something else? its killin me, good luck with your beans, did you test soil at all? might do that as it will tell you lots and take some guess work out of things.

http://learningstore.uwex.edu/Understanding-Plant-Nutrients-Soil-and-Applied-Magnesium-P794C225.aspx

EP is not actually salt at all. That website is not the one I was searching for.

Christi

This message was edited Apr 25, 2008 8:10 AM

Let's try again. www.epsomsaltcouncil.org

Also "search forums" and there is a really long thread about EP.

This message was edited Apr 25, 2008 8:12 AM

Are you kidding me. That just made my day. I swear by ES myself, but I have been mixing it in water and them pouring it on. That is very time consuming with alot of large plants. I feel so silly, I should have checked before, to see if it could also be just sprinkled on the ground.

Headed out this minute to 'empty' my bag of ES. OOOO how happy the daylilies are going to be.

EPS is Magnesium

Yes indeed it is, and that is why you want dolomite lime...not regular lime. You want that magnesium...not the calcium. I just dumped my bag around the daylies in pots. I have been dreading mixing and watering ...altho I do it, it works.