Author Topic: French beans - Jaune et merde (Read 3850 times)

sellickbhoy · « **on:** June 26, 2009, 10:38:43 am »

(i'm practising my french for my holiday in 3 weeks!!! i don't know how often i'll need those 2 words though!)

Anyway, French beans.

started them off in wee pots in the greenhouse and off they went, no bother, looking lovely

i moved them into bigger pots and they continuted to flourish - up to about 7-8 inches

i then started to put the pots outsiide during the day and back in at night, and finally about 2 weeks ago, i moved them out to their permanent home

Since then they've turned a yellowish colour and they don't look so healthy - they certainly aren't growing and i'm not expecting any beans anytime soon either.

So, what's the problem with these critters? This looks like being my 1st grow my own failure :-(

MrRee · « **Reply #1 on:** June 26, 2009, 11:39:26 am »

I use "merde" all the time out here,get used to it!!!

Our french beans did the same when transplanted,took about a month to pick up and are now flowering. Not sure if they don't like the transplantation process or whether it was something to do with the habitat. I might try to do some seeds straight into the ground now and risk it....... Ree

sellickbhoy · « **Reply #2 on:** June 26, 2009, 01:46:28 pm »

i have the space - so i might jsut do that too!

little blue · « **Reply #3 on:** June 26, 2009, 09:00:00 pm »

Do you know the pH of your soil? Could be you need to add lime
Or there may be a minerial deficiency in the soil they have to overcome - more detail on leaf colour/condition would help identify which one...

Try direct sowing, if it still happens, prob one of the above

sellickbhoy · « **Reply #4 on:** June 26, 2009, 09:08:29 pm »

well, the pots they started out on are filled with the same compost that the beds are filled with, so it's not as if that has really changed.

and everything else in that compost has done splendidly!!

might look into that further though.

northfifeduckling · « **Reply #5 on:** June 29, 2009, 10:44:10 am »

I always have problems with starting them off in pots, not worth the effort. They do best here if I just stick seeds in the ground and from 8 per cane about 3 are coming up, most seeds are eaten by mice I reckon. Once there is sign of life I put a plastic bottle with the bottom cut off on as a cloche until they are big enough to survive slug attacks.

Greenerlife · « **Reply #6 on:** June 29, 2009, 11:38:24 am »

My French beans took ages to start off once I'd transplanted from pots, and they did go jaune for a while - just a bit of patience required peut-etre?

sellickbhoy · « **Reply #7 on:** June 29, 2009, 10:22:12 pm »

patience, that's always the answer - i'm sick of patience!!!!!

i've been busy for a couple of days so not paid any attention to the garden - i should do it more often, the chillis and peppers have raced on and there are loads there now, the sweetcorn has kinda exploded a bit and by all accounts i'm gonna have more raspberries than i can safely shake a stick at this summer :-)

even the french beans have stopped looking so jaundiced

northfifeduckling · « **Reply #8 on:** June 29, 2009, 10:50:35 pm »

rasps freeze well, nice to have your own with vanilla icecream for X-mas!

sellickbhoy · « **Reply #9 on:** June 30, 2009, 08:38:02 am »

i've picked up 2 freezers from freecycle - i'll be filling them up with rasps and blackberries over the coming months - think my eyes were bigger than my belly when i planted everything out.

Also plan to freeze a lot of the veggies for use later too