How to Grow Green Beans: Plant, Care & Harvest Guide for Bush & Pole Beans

My first thought would be that a different variety of seed got mixed in with the seeds you purchased.

I've heard that bean plants will be lush if fertilized, but they won't produce beans. So, a bit of compost is better. I'm not an expert, though.

If you have birds in your garden they like to nip the flowers off. I have a garden full of Sparrows and they eat most of my bean flowers! (And my peas shoots when I try and grow peas). I haven't harvested one bean yet and it's already August! I was thinking of netting my beans next year.

We never said throw them out! Just asked if you had seeds to try again, ideally outdoors. The conditions you describe suggest that the seedlings are reaching for the sunlight, while the (warm) room temp is conducive to growth, too. They may be/become spindly—not strong enough to bear the weight of more leaves and later, beans. Let them grow and see what happens. Gardening is a glorious experiment! Thanks for asking, too.

By all accounts these are a good variety of bean, good to grow, good to eat, good to keep. However they do sound like they are reaching...for light. or warmth. You would have best results if you sow when the soil is above 60*F; below that means poor results. Have you got four more seeds to try again a little later?

BTW, the soil should be 60°F or so when the air is, consistently.

So, which is better, regular mulch, or peat moss??????????????!!!!!!!!!!??????????????????????????????????????????

Yes, pinching back the vines will encourage them to grow bushier below.

Above it says only that the plants "may not survive transplanting"—which means they may not...or they may. What to do? First do not give up. Plan to transplant these seedlings as you set out to do and see what happens. Be sure to harden them off first, so their entry into the outdoors is not a shock: give them a couple/few hours outdoors, easing into sunlight, in the weeks before transplanting. Second, which you may or may not choose to do: Buy some more seeds, even if they are not the type you planned to grow. Don't let the season get away from you! Have a backup plan...and possibly (with the new seeds) a second harvest!

Hi Jojo,

Yes, you can move your growing container outside without any problems. Unfortunately, your plant will not grow another harvest next year if you care for the plant over the winter. They only have the one crop in them. We hope this helps!

Some pole beans type can over winter I think it can't freeze, no pooling water around the roots, the root part can get very large. So I would say yes you can, more research

Your beans are ripe when they are about as thick as a pencil. You must continually harvest the ripe beans thru out the season, at least every 3 days or the bean plant will use all it's energy for seed production and new beans will not form on the plant.

Where are you? In season (summer) there is more sunlight than in winter (the Sun is higher in the sky for longer), and plants need sunlight. And warmth. Depending on where you are you can transplant them: In the southernmost US or further south, you may have suitable conditions. Ideally, growing lights and summer temperatures would produce the best results. See more about growing beans here: https://www.almanac.com/plant/beans

Good idea! You should have no trouble saving your seeds. Read the advice here (and click through to the first link in this page, as well): https://www.almanac.com/content/how-save-vegetable-seeds-...

For a visual how-to, here's a video: https://www.almanac.com/video/saving-seed-how-save-your-o...

We hope this helps!

It's true that sometimes bush beans might lean, if as you suggest the wind blows or (in my experience) the plant are too crowded. You could try a couple of things: mulch to give the plant stems more support. We've seen pencil-thin bamboo sticks attached to stems with tomato ties. You might put light rope/string snug (but not tight) to the stems of several plants in a row (tie the string to a stake at either end). If you can count on the wind coming every year, you might also try wind breaks—a wall of something that will allow wind to pass through but as a structure will break the force of it, such as lattice or a wattle fence.

It has been an odd year in many places, largely du to the weather. It may be too hot for the beans to mature properly. Too high heat can effectively stifle these and a few other plants. Kentucky Blues in particular are sensitive to cold—but generally that refers to frost-level cold. You say you have been planting beans for years. In the same place/soil? Failure to rotate crops (or change the soil) can affect performance in a way that no amount of fertilizer can override. Finally, while your intentions are good re watering, does the soil get a chance to dry out? That's almost as imporant to the plant's success as enough water. We hope something suggests a remedy.

You don't identify the type of beans you're growing, but generally speaking, if your beans seemed to be bursting out of their casing/pod, you waited too long to pick them. The beans come soon after the flowers and you have to check at least every other day to check their progress. Then, when the beans form, you can harvest at almost any time. (There are no hard and fast rules. Your seed packet sometimes gives a suggested mature size.) Small, "immature" beans will be tender; older ones—like those you picked—not so much. They are still edible, though; you can just cook them a little longer.

As for the white coloration, that sounds like disease, possibly white mold. It's not necessarily your fault, especially if your garden/area has experienced a lot of rain and temps have been cool. (You do not say where you are.) The plants may be a bit too close together, inhibiting air circulation, but the mold is due to rain, there's not much you can do. Discard the plants and beans in trash, not compost.

Yum! These are called "the caviar of beans" in some circles. We've not grown them but now want to! Thanks for posting, Joel, and for your service. We hope someone will share their experience with these beautiful beans.

a few weeks before the standard United States school year for elementary and middle school would be the beginning of the standard harvesting time for most crops

Hi Susan,

Bush varieties of beans (both wax and green) will spread about 2 feet. They may grow some runners, but they do not require any trellising or trimming. 

There are several reasons why bean leaves yellow. It could be root rot which is due to overwatering. Or, it could be lack of sunlight as beans need at least 6 hours of direct sunshine. Or, it could be lack of nitrogen in your fertilizer. Another common reason for yellowing leaves is bacterial blight which is introduced to a field by infected seed. A fungicide spray can sometimes halt the disease. Finally, yellows leaves can mean mosaic virus. Unfortunately, there's not a lot you can do. Remove infected plants and purchase only disease-resistant seeds. See more about bean diseases: http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard-garden/vegetable...

Usually, Kentucky pole beans take about 50 to 65 days to harvest, so something may be wrong, although you might wait a week or two to be sure. Could it be that the plant has received too much nitrogen? This encourages leaves over flower formation. High heat, or starting seeds too early, can affect flowering as well. Make sure that the plants have at least 6 hours of full sun each day, and enough water.

Blue beans would be fun but no, that will not happen. Each variety will retain its distinct color.

If you believe that the flies are fungus gnats, that indicates moisture. Sometimes they pop up after overwatering and/or poor drainage. To control, let the soil dry out down to 1 or 2 inches, and if your plants can stand it, do that between each watering. Yellow sticky traps will lure the adults, helping to prevent the females from laying more eggs. The adults do not damage the plants, but the larvae can. If your room is humid with no ventilation, then you might want to open the vent to allow some air circulation (which helps to prevent diseases, too), as long as the vent is not allowing very cold or hot air to come in. Hope this helps!

The yield for pole beans will vary depending on several factors, including variety and growing conditions. Pole beans yield more than bush beans over the long term. In general, a rule of thumb is to plant 10 to 20 plants per person. However, if you think that your kids will get bored with beans, you can lessen that amount. Some gardeners plant about 3 to 5 plants per person. Keeping up with picking mature pods will lengthen harvest time.

Hi, Steve, you've got it exactly right. If it gets too hot, plants can not/do not produce. Maybe you can start your plants sooner (or later?) so that they peak before the temps do...? Experiment a bit. Home growing is not an exact science anyway.

All the best

Congratulations, Jacob! So nice of you to let us know. Just sayin, though . . . we never got any of the harvest!

Seriously—it was, and is, all YOU. You're the one taking the time, tending the plants, watering, watching, weeding, spreading all the TLC. So happy to hear that you had a successful season, and we wish you an even better one this coming year. (It's almost time for the seed catalogs to come out!)

Cheers!

It's usually a few days to a week that you would see bean pods develop where the flower appeared.

It is not wise to eat scarlet runner beans raw. If well cooked, they—and you—should be fine. Saving a few pods, with beans inside, to plant next year should cause you no health problems.

It takes about 60 days for wax beans to mature.

i like to cultivate akara beans

Pole beans may not flower if the temperature is too cool, too hot, or there is lots of wind. They also need at least 6 hours of sunlight. If you plant transplants, they will have a harder time establishing than those that were direct sown in the garden. It's a puzzle why the yellow wax beans are doing much better, as they require about the same things. Days to maturity for the yellow wax might be slightly earlier, but they are basically equivalent. Fairbanks is USDA Hardiness Zone 1.  Could it be that your strain of Kentucky bean prefers a warmer climate than your yellow wax bean? Check the overall health of the pole bean -- any signs of damage or of pests or disease? That can slow down a plant as well.

Hi, Juergen! You can check your planting dates here; just put in your zip code: http://www.almanac.com/gardening/planting-dates/zipcode/8...

At this time, we realized that we might have misunderstood your question: that it's not about time to plant but about using freshly harvested seeds. So here's our thoughts on the latter:

You should not plant beans again into the same soil, btw (bet you knew that); you should rotate crops in and out. And, you know if these are hybrid plant seeds, any resulting plant growth will vary considerably from the parent plant ... right? Only heirlooms reproduce truly.

All things then, being equal, test your recently harvested seed, by rolling a few seeds into a damp paper towel. Put it into a glass or plastic container with a tight-fitting lid (so the towel will not dry out). Check it in 8 to 10 days to see what, if anything, is sprouting.

Hope this helps!

at the latest plant in April for a nice fall crop

If the plants had just been planted within a week or so, it might be OK. Otherwise, if they are established and have had time to send out roots, it might be better to keep them where they are. Some gardeners have moved their young beans to find that they take a long while to recover. Are these pole beans? Gourds/squash plants can take up space along the ground while climbing beans are compatible if they are given vertical support. Bush beans, however, might be a problem, as there might be competition for light, etc. You might try redirecting the gourd vines to give the beans a little open area. Hope this helps!

It definitely sounds like you are growing peas or beans! Your best bet for identifying the plants would be to gather a few seed catalogs and see if any pictures resemble what you are looking at on your plants. On the bright side, at least the plants are healthy!

Hi, Jim: Thanks for the great question. Just leave your poor beans alone, will ya? Nothing much needs to be done to bush beans, but indeed you may find that once you have picked a crop, if you cut back to just above the growth nodes, they may still produce beans again in the same season. Nothing beantured, nothing gained, so give it a try in some places!

Beans are usually started in ground; that is, seeds are planted directly, not started and transplanted. But these days, some nurseries are offering almost everything/anything as seedlings.

You do not indicate your region/are so unless you are in an extreme weather are, where your indoor conditions are significantly different from those outdoors, we recommend planting the seedlings . . . asap. The flower buds will produce the bean pods. You would be wiser to leave them one. The plants should get bushier as the mature/grow.

You do not indicate where you are, and maturity is an estimate, generally speaking. Conditions can vary...and so it may be here. You are only six weeks into an estimated two month maturity period. Don't worry; give the plants more time.

Yes, beans are best planted in the ground or in the container where they will live. Plant some new beans seeds in a different container and also among the beans that are dying. Some of the poorly looking beans may survive.

If you planted red swan bush beans they are not going to be very tall. Let them grow and you should be getting a nice harvest. Plant some more beans every two or three weeks for a continuous harvest.

This is a great way to save water and get it to the plant desired. Water regularly, no more than an inch per week. I use .5 gal/hour emitters which will allow the water to soak deeply. Let the water run for either 30min 2 times/wk or 60 min once a wk

You need to buy seeds

The beans will slow down with the cooler temps. You can protect them with row covers or light weight material during the nights. Some gardeners fill gallon jugs with water and set them out between the plants. The water absorbs heat during the day and releases it during the night.

Bean rust is a fungal disease that can attack bean plants, forming orange, brown, or reddish pustules under leaves or on pods or stems. Leaves will turn yellow and fall off. It can spread rapidly, especially in humid/wet weather, by air or splashing water. The old saying is probably referring to the fact that it is best to harvest beans when the weather is dry, to help avoid spreading any rust fungus (or other diseases).

When beans aren't flowering, it is usually just because it's too early. Are you shoots at the top of the poles? When they get there, it should flower. Also, make sure that the flower buds didn't just drop. This can happen in hot and dry weather. Make sure you add compost around the roots to keep them moist. Also, sometimes, they drop if it's windy and there aren't enough pollinators coming around. Do you have bees?

Do you have supports? Beans are shallow-rooted plants and can't keep them selves upright with out supports.
If seedlings fall over (and die), then that's the work of cutworms.

Hi, Josie, Even before finishing reading, the first question that comes to mind is, are you rotating your crops? It's sometimes possible to get "good" crops in the same soil (area of your garden) one or two or even three years, but with each repeat year, quality slips. And the slippage accummulates. Holes in pods and hollowed seeds/beans are also caused by corn earworms and Lcyaenid pod borers—grub-like caterpillars that become small butterflies. Collect and destroy infected pods. Control with Bacillis thuringeniensis, an insecticide. And rotate.

First make sure the soil is well drained and that the beans get lots of sun. Beans need rich soil so adding compost around the plants may help. Mosaic viruses and other diseases can also cause yellow leaves.

It sounds like you did everything you could to coddle the seeds. The days to germination on some bush beans are 7 to 14 days. If the soil was a little cool (under 60F) that can delay germination. You might just wait a week longer to make sure--it could be that they are just taking a little more time to get up to speed. Past then, however, you might check one of your plantings as a sample for any seed rot or insect/disease damage.

It's likely to be cutworms, Andrew. They "cut" off plant pieces and leave them behind. They overwinter in the soil, lay eggs in grass and weeds in spring, and feed at night when temps ar 65°F and higher. During the day, they hide in the soil. There are numerous types. See here for details and some advice: http://www2.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ent59.asp

Woodchucks....happened to me last year, and i caught him, although too late. Only other plant affected was sweet potato. This year i used a pepper spray and a mint and cinnamon pellet

You can certainly add soil to the plants if the roots are becoming exposed from erosion or the plants are flopping over. I'm thinking, though, that if your plants are doing nicely right now, you might not want to cover the plant stems with more soil, as that can encourage diseases and insects. (In future plantings, you can use the hilling method by mounding the soil and sowing bean seeds in the mound.)

The usual reason for beans that are light green or even yellow is that they are not getting enough warmth and sun. Has your weather been cool? The beans should recover.

Also, beans often go through a period of yellowing shortly after germination because they're using up all the nutrients. A nitrogen deficiency causes leaves and plants to be light green or yellow. It's best to add a light application of nitrogen.

We just use a soap spray to control insects on beans and most vegetables. There are different recipes. Here's one: First, mix a cup of veggie oil with a tablespoon liquid dishwashing detergent. Then use one and a half teaspoons of the oil-detergent mixture for each cup of water. Only spray when you see bugs and only in the mornings or you may get leaf burn.

If you want to have beans continuously through the growing season, you would need to plant more beans every few weeks.

Hi, Thuan: You should definitely try it. A lot might depend on your actual locale. Bear in mind that sometimes they don't really produce until the second year, and also that they like shorter days -- so the end of the summer is when they do best. Good luck!

Hi Jennifer,

Let the bean pods grow until they are mature and then pick them. The plant will produce more beans as you start picking. The bush bean plant will keep growing and become fuller with time.

Hi: I have the same situation you have and also have no beans just flowers. Did you find an answer to your problem? Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you Steve Carlisle

Lack of pollinators might be the culprit. Inconsistent watering can also cause lack of fruit set--provide mulch and if it is windy in your area, also provide wind protection to help prevent drying. Flowers may also drop before setting fruit due to high heat (over 90F). Also, too much nitrogen can cause beans to bloom but not set pods.

Try to attract bees to your garden by adding flowers

Blue flowers attract bees for pollination more than other colours.

Sure. If your beans reach the top of the trellis, they can just loop over and work their way back down the trellis.

In Zone 10, you can plant beans as early as February into April. Another batch can be planted in August and September. Scarlet runner beans can be grown as perennials in Zone 10. Beans like about an inch of water per week. Many diseases occur if the soil gets waterlogged, or the air is very humid, which I'm guessing your winters might not experience. You might ask your county's Cooperative Extension about care for runner beans in your area; there might also be varieties best for your climate. See: http://www.almanac.com/content/cooperative-extension-serv...

Harvest time will depend on several factors, such as variety, weather, soil, health of plant. But in general, bean pods will be ready to harvest about 7 to 14 days after the flowers appear.

If the soil has been prepared with a balanced fertilizer before planting, it is usually not necessary to fertilize again, although there are some exceptions, depending on your soil. Beans have a partnership with nitrogen-fixing bacteria on their roots, so they don't need as much nitrogen as some other vegetables. Some gardeners give a light feeding after flowers have bloomed heavily and pods are beginning to set. At this time, you can give them a little low-nitrogen fertilizer, applying about 6 to 8 inches away from the plant, and then water thoroughly.

In general, water is more important at this stage than fertilizer--keep up with consistent watering while pods develop (but don't let the soil get soggy).

If your beans are still producing, there is no need to worry just yet. Beans do like well-draining soil so try not to give them too much water.

when the leaves tan yellow it means your beans it is know cameing to be well produce coz the more it tans yellow the more inakauka tu be ready to havest

Tobacco mosaic disease can affect a number of plants. Sanitation is the key to keeping it from spreading. Remove any plants showing signs of the disease and sterilize garden equipment. It is always best to not smoke while working in the garden.

It's hard to know what it might be without a photo. The rainiy/humid conditions would seem to encourage a fungal disease. Some fungal growths aren't as fuzzy as, say, what you might find on old food. Downy mildew is common on beans--could it be that? Powdery mildew does better in cool weather, but it might be a possibility. Rust can sometimes start out whitish. For more information about bean diseases in your area, you might be interested in this from the Alabama Cooperative Extension:

http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-1024/ANR-1024.pdf

It doesn't quite sound like insect egg clusters, or residue from pesticides, salts, etc. For further advice, you might ask a local nursery or call your county's Cooperative Extension:

http://www.almanac.com/content/cooperative-extension-serv...

Hi, Daily, Thanks for helping these friends!

Hi, Ken, We are huge proponents of aged cow manure, but sometimes even we can use too much of a good thing. Do a soil test to check the pH. You can do this with the beans in the ground. Then amend accordingly. The potential nutrient imbalances are many, so see what you're dealing with for soil content/value first, then look into additives.

The test is quick, easy, and inexpensive. A nursery, garden store, or coop extension should be able to help you—help you get one, read it, and resolve the matter.

Hope this helps. There's nothing like fresh beans.

Test you soil to make sure it has the right pH. Lime will make it more alkaline--don't add any more unless the soil is more acidic than optimum. Beans like it slightly acidic to around neutral, depending on the type: around 6.0 to 7.5. Also make sure that your seeds are viable (new seed packets would be fine). Cold soil will slow germination, and some bean varieties will take longer than others to sprout. Lots of water or rain can rot the seeds. Also, when mulching before seeds sprout, you might want to provide only about a 1/4 inch layer (or avoid the actual spots where the seeds are planted); otherwise, the seeds may have trouble pushing through (when plants establish, you can provide a thicker layer), and the soil might be kept cooler than optimum for sprouting. Or, you could just avoid mulching until after the seeds have sprouted and become more hardy. For grass clippings, let them brown and dry before applying them to the vegetable bed, and avoid those clippings from lawns treated with pesticides.

You are planting to deeply and mulching before your seeds germinate. As beans germinate they have to push the cotyledons (seed leaves) up through the soil. If the soil is too deep, too heavy, too dense, too packed, etc., the cotyledons can not push through. The natural fibers of any mulch will increase this problem. Sometimes the seedling will break their necks by not being able to emerge from the soil. Soil tests are always important, but generally the lack of a test will not prevent germination unless your soils are extremely out of range. Try planting your beans approximately 1 inch deep and wait until they are 5-6 inches tall before using any mulch. Good luck with your beans.

In addition to the green beans, I'm concerned with mu tomato seedlings. Out of 8 containers, I only have 1 that has produced 2 leaves. What did I do wrong? Seeds were planted on June 1,2014. Help! Should I start over or is there a way to save the undeveloped ones?

It depends on the insect and the damage. Some insects lay eggs in the leaves and the larvae will hatch inside (leaf miners), or spider mites weave webs on them. In those cases, where the insect would remain on the leaf and you can't remove the insect, remove the leaf. However, it sounds like yours have been damaged by, as you say, snails and tomato worms and perhaps other caterpillars, and/or maybe a beetle (such as a bean leaf beetle). These will wander over several leaves or plants. If you don't see signs of eggs (or if you do, you can knock them off), and the leaf appears to be coping (healthy green), then you should probably leave it be. (If they are clearly dying, though, then remove them to avoid diseases invading.)

If this were a disease, however, especially a virus, it sometimes would be best to remove the affected leaves to help prevent spreading.

If there are too many damaged leaves, or too many removed, the plant would suffer, as it wouldn't be able to make enough food.

Germination can be affected by several things, such as the age of the seed, the soil temperature (in general for beans, wait to sow until the soil is at least 65 degrees F), moisture (beans like evenly moist soil, but not soggy), etc. Although it is usually not necessary to soak the beans for germination, some gardeners have had success doing so. If you try this, be sure not to oversoak them, or it will hurt the bean, possibly splitting it; test them every so often to make sure that they are not getting mushy. One method is to soak them for up to 30 minutes, or place them between damp towels overnight.

Did you try contacting the source of your seeds to ask what type/variety they are? Pole beans can grow to 5 to 8 feet; they are essentially "born to run."

You could try topping them off, a little at a time/everyday or two, rather that a long-length pruning. Beans are usually self-pollinating, so give them awhile and see what happens.

BTW, it's early in season, so you should also consider growing some bush beans. These would mature at a manageable height.

Your idea of adding nutrients is a good one, but not in the way you decribe. Those ingredients are best when they are composted—rotted away in a pile of leaves and other things outside over a period of months.

Without having an idea of the quality of your soil, adding fertilizer could do more harm than good. Don't pack the soil around the seed. Keep it a bit loose so it has some air. Make sure there are holes in the bottom of your cup so excess water can drain out (and not drown the seed). Keep it in a warm place and give it sunlight when it sprouts.

The beans will slow down after a while and it is always a good idea to sow more. Some gardeners plant a new row every 3 to 4 weeks to have a nice supply of fresh beans throughout the season.

No worries! It's caused by water drops on the beans when the sun is on them, it acts like a magnifying glass, and "cooks" the skin just a little bit. Eat up and enjoy!!

Sounds like cutworms. For damage under ground you need a liquid insecticide rated for ground use.

"String" are usually "bush" beans, so assuming that's the case, pods usually follow flowers. It's not possible to give you an exact answer because we do not know where you are or the variety of bean, so consider this:

• the bean pods may appear soon; check the variety's maturity date and compare with the date on which you planted

• a review of sources suggest that sometimes weather conditions—cool temps and/or humidity—can inhibit growth.

• check for pests: some bugs can devastate bean crops

• are the beans growing in the same spot that you grew them in the previous season? that is, are you rotating crops? failure to do so could inhibit successful maturity.

We hope this helps to solve the problem.

Beans are a warm season crop and grow best when temps are about 65° to 85°F. To grow well just about anywhere, beans need full sun and rich, composted soil.

The soil temp for germination is at least 55°F, so you can probably plant any time now. Bush beans may be the easiest: they grow compactly, usually no more than a couple of feet high and many arieties are highly productive. Pole beans grow up (and up) and so need support—sometimes strong support, as the vines can reach six feet or more. The height might make them easier to reach and pick—you decide.

Consider the time-maturity-period of the variety of bean you want to plant, no matter whether bush or pole.

Finally, if you have a garden and are introducing beans to it and want to continue to do that, be aware of the need to rotate your crops to minimize pests (up here, Mexican bean beetles can devastate a crop before pods even set) and help to improe soil nutrition. (The 2014 Almanac has a feature on crop rotation.)

We hope this helps!

We harvest beans when they are almost daily to encourage production; if you allow pods to ripen fully, the plants will stop producing. It's really just a living organism's desire to reproduce. Some of our gardeners take it a step farther and give the beans a "haircut" by chopping them back a few inches to stimulate more growth.

Sometimes bush beans will indeed "take a break." Have you had some heat stress? If so, just keep watering them and they may start again when it's a bit cooler. You can also try some successive planting next year and stagger plantings; perhaps when one set of beans is taking a break, the other set will keep going.

I would like to know the answer to the above question also. I grew pole beans for the first time this year and I'm having the same problem. I just keep hoping they are a late producer.

A couple of things my be going on here: You may have over fertilized, esp with nitrogen, which aids in rapid growth. A too-rich compost/manure can also bring about this situation. High temps, including at night, and low humidity or uneven/inconsistent moisture may have caused the beans to not set pods. Also, your beans need 8 to 10 hours of sunlight.

We hope this helps.

Slugs and rabbits are the most common culprits. For slugs: Go out at night with a flashlight and you'll see 'em! Look at how the leaf is chewed and you can figure it out. Here's a good page on bean pests: http://ipm.ncsu.edu/ag295/html/bean_pea_key.htm

That's a tough one. Thoughts: contaminated manure? Weedkiller? Aphids? Bean mosaic virus? Crop rotation? Are you using new seed each year and keeping it in a cool (below 50oF) dry place until planting time? We'd suggest you send a sample to your Texas cooperative service for a local diagnosis.

The soil is very basic in texas. Try adding a compost that is acidic. I am growing them in dallas and my garden exploded. I also used mulch to hold in moisture since it is very dry.

Extended the trellis with some stakes?

Have you tried wood ashes or diatomaceous earth (which is a non toxic safe substance to use in the garden for ridding yourself of pests)? I would try that for pests, but with brown leaves I would think that the humidity isn't right maybe?...try heavy mulch and watering in the morning and at night to keep the ground moist...also, to keep animals out of your garden try planting a border of wormwood...this will deter most animals (like rabbits and moles) from eating up your garden. Also, plant marigolds throughout your garden to deter pests. Compatible with most all of garden plants. Hope this helps. Try companion gardening to help naturally deter pests as well. I like the book "Carrots Love Tomatoes". Hope this helps. Good luck!:)

Great! If they have survived 3 weeks they should be all set for blooms and pods.

I planted beans for the first time this year and didn't know about not starting them inside, I must have gotten lucky because they are outside now and growing well

Pole beans pods are ready for harvest about 7 to 14 days after flowering. You harvest before the pods are fully mature. The pods should be full size with small seeds, and firm, crisp flesh when picked. Pick regularly as the plant will flower and mature the pods for 5 to 6 weeks on pole types. Pole beans generally produce pods over a very long time period so only one or two plantings are necessary each year for continuous production.

According to the Louisiana extension services the best time to plant pole beans is 2/15 to 5/15 for spring and 8/10 to 8/31 for fall. They take 60 to 66 days to harvest. If your climate, however, is cooler this year, you could probably stretch it.

Oh, no! Grasshoppers are a gardener's plague. If there are only a few, you can/should pick them off by hand. And, if they are not too many in number, you can cover the plants; but it's not easy to cover pole beans growing upright. Maybe you could try hanging row covers in such a way as to stay in place and not blow around (their blowing around wouldn't serve much purpose). If the grasshoppers are in migration, in swarms, there is almost nothing you can do. Some sources recommend growing and maintaining tall grass of lush green plants around the perimeter of your garden as a diversion, or "trap crop." But you must let is grow untended/uncut, and do not water or the grasshoppers will flee to your garden. It sounds like maybe you do not have swarms of grasshoppers. Try catching and eliminating them individually as well as the trap crop. Best wishes!

cats eat grasshoppers, if you have some around. Just a thought...

We have a couple of guinea fowl that keep the grasshopper population down. They are very entertaining to watch too!

We have a nice article about companion planting called The Three Sisters. It describes how to plant corn, beans and squashes together in your garden. Please see almanac.com/content/companion-planting-three-sisters

I plant the Rattle Snake variety of pole beans. They are named that due to the speckle on the hull and on the mature bean. I have successfully raised these beans with field corn varieties at the time rate you mentioned. However, most modern pole bean varieties will outgrow even the field corn. It is best to use the cattle fence method for pole bean vine support. I stretch a fence on metal posts to grow mine on, and just leave it there for about three years. Heck of a lot of work though, the cattle fencing would be easier, but more expensive. You either have to invest a lot of hard work or a lot of money, but most of the time, both :)

replant during the summer season as it is the best time of the year to grow then if you have runner bean seeds left ove store they in cold water for about a week and then change the water.

Unless you are planting really short rows, you shouldn't really need to replant. At least with the variety I grow. I grow rattle snake beans and barring a terribly dry summer, they will bear until frost if you keep them picked weekly. I have never needed to replant unless I did not get a good stand on my first planting. You might have some skips in your row after the first planting, if so, you can go back and replant the skipped areas in the row. If you fertilize them well (15-15-15 at planting then again about a month later as side dress) and they get a decent amount of rain, you keep up with them, keeping them picked and sprayed for insects, they will most likely wear you out and you will be begging your neighbors to help themselves. They will bear till frost as long as you keep them picked regularly (weekly).

My mom have one when I was a kid we called them pickled beans and also had one for pickled corn and now no one can find it.

My wife and I are in our 50's and are planning a garden for the first time. My wife would love to try you pickling method on our beans. Can you post receipe?