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Hi
I have just started to grow my own vegetables and due to the weather been glorious put my broad beans outside against a trellis. They thrived and looked really healthy. Last week we were away and had torrential downpours which has drowned the soil, the leaves are now all wilting and going dry, but due to them all now been wrapped round a trellis I am unable to bring them back inside and try to save them. Does anyone have any tips or have I lost them?
Thanks




Answers

 

I'm a bit confused?

Are you sure they are broad beans and not runner beans?

You say; due to them all now been wrapped round a trellis

Its unlikely broad beans would do this but runner / climbing beans would.

The other thing is you say; I am unable to bring them back inside.

Are they in pots and if so what size are they?

I am guessing they are in pots and the pots are water logged and there is a drainage problem!

Can the pots (assuming they are in pots) be raised off the ground/soil?

If they can! then prop the pots up on bricks /gravel/ timber laths and this may allow the pots to drain better.

A picture of your situation would be handy!

16 Jun, 2012

 

Sorry they are runner beans and they are in a long pot but the trellis is attached to the wall and the stems have wrapped round it. The pot has drainage but we live in a very open area close to the pennines so the soil is just drenched I was going to top the soil up with new dryer soil to see if this soaked up the excess water and trim off the dying leaves but as I am still quite new to this I did not want to do more harm than good. Thanks for replying

16 Jun, 2012

 

Hi sorry yes they are Runner beans and they are in a long pot, which does have drainage however due to living in a exposed area and the amount of rain we have had the soil is sodden. The trellis they are attached to is fixed to a wall and they have had a merry time winding round it.
I was going to top the soil up with new soil to see if that would soak up the excess water and trim of the worst of the dying leaves but did not wish to cause them more damage, as I am just learning. I have also been reading up about problems with runner beans this afternoon and it states they need a deep bed, where mine isn't that deep so again thinking if I add more soil this may save them. Thanks for replying I think I may need a lot of help, but am eager to learn and am looking forward to hopeful having some home grown Veg this year as my Carrots, Cabbages etc seem to be thriving, thanks again

16 Jun, 2012

 

Runner Beans dont need a deep bed, the roots are fairly shallow. I would say leave them alone, they should recover when the sun shines again - hopefully next week.
Spray with a mixture of 1 teasp of Dettol in 1 litre of water, the birds tend to knock the early flowers off as they hunt for insects and they dont like the smell of Dettol. It also attracts pollinating insects, so you should get Beans for the kitchen earlier, my record is July 12th but dont think I will achieve it this year.
As a fellow allotmenteer once said in a drought " Theres always been a harvest" and he was right.

16 Jun, 2012

 

Thankyou I was gutted when I saw them starting to wilt

16 Jun, 2012

 

Erm, I'm not a veggie grower as such, but I have grown runner beans many times and what I do know is, they need a minimum of a spit deep dug trench which you fill with well composted manure or garden compost, humus rich material at least. Some people use old newspapers, shredded up as well, and you plant into that. They like very rich, moisture retentive soil, and unless you've got a dwarf variety there, they won't do well in a pot I'm afraid. Particularly concerning is your description of a 'long' pot - does that mean a trough? Or do you mean a deep pot - if its deep, does it have drainage holes in the bottom?

16 Jun, 2012

 

Hi
It is just a long pot not overly long and not really deep, it has drainage and have been watering with food once a week, but due to how drenched the soil is I haven't watered it for the last week so haven't added any food. We live next to farm fields so sure I could obtain some manure if needed, I know it is the first year I have grown so am likely to lose something, but don't really want to if I can.

16 Jun, 2012

 

The time to incorporate well rotted manure to a veg bed is well before planting.Don't in any case use any fresh from the fields - it needs at least 6 months to rot down first. Maybe someone will correct me but I'm pretty sure manure is high nitrogen, which peas and beans don't need as they manufacture their own and the point of adding it in a bean bed is just to add humus and therefore moisture. You would be better with a high potash feed such as tomato fertiliser.
In any case if you have planted in potting compost there is enough fertiliser in it to last for the first six weeks so there is no need to be feeding either at this stage.

If the stems have been damaged in the storms there is little hope of recovery but live in hope - you never know what some fine weather will do. There is hopefully still just about time to sow again for a late crop if you live in a mild area. If you don't have ground to plant them in try a wigwam of canes in a large pot which should be more successful.

16 Jun, 2012

 

What brand and type of compost are they in?

I am finding that the some of the composts that are being marketed these days are not as free draining as they once were, most varieties no longer have sand in them to assist in this matter.

I won't go into the compost issue as it a sore point with me.

Enough to say a lot of it is not fit for purpose!

So when I mentioned water logging, and you mentioned draining holes, what I am saying is; even bottomless pots are not draining as they should be i.e.the compost is holding onto the moisture and there is no air in the compost due to the voids being filled with moisture.

This then causes symptoms like you are having!

16 Jun, 2012

 

I should plant some more seed, without any frills !
My Runner Beans, and my allotment neighbours have all got yellow leaves.
We have been growing them for years.
Its the weather.

17 Jun, 2012

 

Thanks everyone I appreciate all your help, think I might invest in a green house for next year, dam weather can't believe it is June after chasing my patio table round the garden last night due to the wind and it landing on my Carrots I now think I am cursed lol

17 Jun, 2012

 

Sorry to hear about your Runner Beans, mine have been demolished by the snails :(

17 Jun, 2012

 

Thankyou, we came back from a night out to find the patio covered in slugs, so I thought it would be wise to spread salt to prevent them getting my veggies, bad idea as it stuck them to the patio and my husband was left with the job of trying to scrap them off, I have been told since that egg shells in the soil stop them. Are you going to re plant

17 Jun, 2012

 

Why not just buy slug pellets - a light application will do the job, and I mean light, just a few, around your veg.

17 Jun, 2012

 

How are slug pellets with dogs as I have 2 very nosey Westies

17 Jun, 2012

 

Well you don't want the dogs to eat them, but even if they do, it won't kill 'em, provided they don't eat half the pack... Use beer traps if you're worried, although from what I know of dogs, they'll drink that before the slugs do... You can buy something called Slug Gone, which is a pelleted sheeps wool product, non toxic, which you apply thickly to the ground around particular plants, but its not cheap. Available on line and it works because slugs and snails can't crawl over it, it sucks the moisture out of them if they try.

17 Jun, 2012

 

I will give it a look sounds preferable to drunk doggies lol

17 Jun, 2012

How do I say thanks?

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