Organic stringbeans

[Hushpuppy]

Hey My MPeeps; I have a problem with an organic vegetable garden that I started for my Mother-in-law this year. I made the soil up with a combination of vigoro organic soil, Espoma's Garden Tone and sweet lime, composted cow manure(Cow Peat), bone meal, and oak and pine bark nuggets for aeration. I surrounded the garden with railroad cross-ties and backfilled with my soil rather than tilling the ground.

My Mother-n-law planted tomatoes, onions, cucombers, peppers, squash, and stringbeans. All are doing well except the stringbeans which have been in a state of yellowing since they started. In the pics you can see the plants on the left side of the bunch seem to be doing better than the ones on the right side. All of the plants were set at the same time and the stringbeans were grown from seed. There was a bit of a rough start with rainy weather and cooler than usual. This affected all of the plants equally but since the weather has warmed and dried out more, everyone accept the stringbeans have greened up nicely and taken off, but the stringbeans have somewhat floundered.

I am thinking that the PH may be the problem but I don't know what the proper PH should be for stringbeans. Anyone have any ideas on this? Thanks

 

[pcduck]

6.5pH but can tolerate a pH anywhere between 5.5 and 7.5.

How cold did it get? and did you allow them to harden off before transplanting?

Beans are a warm weather crop and mine took a slight hit when it got cold up here again. Also they took awhile to adjust because I did not harden them off, was clouding on the day of transplant but then we got 4 days of intense sun and heat turned them yellow but now that weather is back to normal they have green upped again.

 

[Hushpuppy]

These were planted about 3weeks ago in the soil where they are now, so no transplant. They did get fairly cold when they were starting out. It seems like the first 2 weeks after they germed and broke the top of the ground, that it got cool and wet, which caused all of the plants to faulter until it began to warm up and dry out. They didn't have any way to harden off as they were planted outside from seed by mother-n-law and wife.

I made up the soil and the raised bed, while they did all of the planting decisions, but guess whose fault it will be if any of the plants fail? :angrywife:

 

[4u2sm0ke]

:rofl:

you can stay out back if Wifey runs ya out...

sounds like they planted to soon...they will bounce up...you made the soil so Im sure the amendments are correct...we have yet to have real nice weather..rain then sun...The MJ likes it so far and are now taking off...HAd a crap start with the lettuce/spinnach and Bok chow...but the peas are doing well...Happy Gardening and dont forget the toke breaks
:48:

 

[Hushpuppy]

Thanks fellas Yeah Smoke, I think the early start followed by the crazy weather is to blame. I think I will lose a few of them but several are picking up and growing so it won't be a total loss. My squash are growing like gangbusters, leaves as big as yer head and already about 15 little veggies growing on them. At least they like my soil mix

 

[Hushpuppy]

Well I figured out why my stringbeans aren't doing well :doh: The PH is too low in the soil. I put lime in it but apparently not enough for the beans.

 

[WeedHopper]

Get a soil test kit and check your NPK. It never hurts to know and they work reallly well. I use them for my Organic garden. I use raised beds.I have also found that some types of bark can jack yur PH up for Veggies.