Bush Beans

I planted bush beans(green beans) this year, and so far only two have sprouted. I've seen where it looked like some were starting to emerge, but nothing happened after that. I suspect I've been watering them too much.....I want to replant some, so I figured I should find out what I was doing wrong before I headed off to kill a second batch. Oh, also, I did have a third sprout that appeared to have gotten cut away at the surface of the soil....nothing else in the garden was messed with though. Any advice would be appreciated!

Kristie

I just put them in the ground and let nature takes its course, Unless you are in adrought stricken area, hold off on the water. If the soil is wet, it really encourages root rot. http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/3110.html

Well, I've begun to think we were a drought stricken area. We haven't had rain for weeks and its been in the 90s for the past week. We've started to get a little rain today...but so far very little. I am hearing another rumble of thunder, so hopefully we'll get more. I was going to replant seeds in the same spot to fill in the holes where they haven't made it. Will the root rot affect them if I put them in the same spot? (Even if I stop watering them?)

Kristie

kls, I'm in zone 4-5. My bush beans are growing real well. I just had a problem with something eating their leafs. I plant them about 1inch in ground. I water them everyday if the soil on top looks dry. They need to be moist to germinate. They probably won't rot if you are haveing hot weather.

I only plant mine about 1/2" deep, for some reason they like to rot on me if I plant any deeper (no matter how much or how little I water). I think all but one I planted germinated.

Hmmmm....well, I've been watering every day trying to make sure they would stay moist for germinating....there is a spot where the water pools and that is where the best bean plant is growing....however, I've seen at least five others just breaking the surface and then the next thing I know they're gone. They do look kinda sickly like yellowish, bloated seads laying on the ground. At first I thought they were going to die, but the two that have sprouted started out this way as well. So, I'm not really sure...I am going to try to replant in the same area and see if that works. Will this pass along any fungus or diseases if I do?

Kristie

your beans sound like mine last year. I planted a second round about this time (last year) and germination was slow and sporatic(sp?) and the beans that came up were devoured by pests. I never found out what really happened, but I did plant more this year and everything is great, they almost all came up, minimal pest damage and they are about 12" tall. Things I did different: I amended the soil alot more this year with manure, lime, bone meal etc. I made sure to plant with the eye facing down, I didn't know about that last year,and I kept things moist by watering the ground before planting and after and put grass clippings, maybe1 inch on top. If you have seeds left, try germinating a few in a small bowl of water or a wet paper towel, maybe you have a bad batch of seed.

I may try germinating a few in water...I think I will resow some just for the heck of it. What's this eye thing? I too know nothing about the eye thing....that might be part of it. Also, did you do any watering after your initial planting? Maybe I'll plant them and mulch them and see what happens.....Thanks for the help guys!

Kristie

Hey Kristy, I don't know if it really makes a difference, but, when you look at a bean seed where it curves in there is a little "eye" and that should face down. If you are like me, I'll do just about anything to make my seeds grow and that is not a big deal, so I planted the little guys looking down. Lisa

Thanks Lisa! Yes, my seeds need all the help they can get. I think I will go out and plant some new ones now...and I'll be looking for the eyes! Thanks

Kristie

Ok...so I planted more beans yesterday evening. I was able to successfully locate the "eye" and planted them face down. I water them, but not as much as I normally did. I think I'll try watering every other day or just light watering when the surface dries.....I was watering heavily everyday....hehehe. Hopefully these will take off. Thanks for the help!

Kristie

kls,
When your beans first sprout, they look like tasty little bugs to birds and they will pull them out of the ground believing they've found lunch. If it's real dry the birds will be even worse as food is difficult for them to find. I also plant mine an inch deep because then when they break the surface, they are more likely to be at the point where the leaves are ready to unfurl and won't look like an insect to the birds.

Ah...I bet that's part of the problem. The birds have been little scavengers lately. When I planted the garden this year, there was a robin poking around in the dirt right next to me the whole time. I bet that's what happened to those seedlings! I hope I got mine deep enough this time....I just guessed. Thanks for the info!!

Kristie

That's funny what you say that about the birds. I had bean plants pop up in other rows in my garden and I wondered how they got there, maybe the birds dropped them and the seedlings still took.

That's possible...or maybe they ate them and "disposed" of them from the other end...I know that happens with hard shelled seeds...maybe it would work with beans too? I put some mulch over mine to hide it from the birds, hopefully this will work this time.

Kristie