Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
trsinc

No Beans - All Vines

trsinc
14 years ago

It seems that everyone in my zone has already begun harvesting beans. I have Roma Green Beans and some sort of red bean that I received at our local Swap. They have made nice foliage but no beans yet. I'm guessing I have too much nitrogen. In the last two years I didn't use any fertilizer, short of a little manure, and I barely even got any vines. This year I used manure, feather meal, and fish emulsion. At least they grew.

What type of natural/organic fertilizer should I use now? Should I add more feather meal? This is the first time I've used the stuff.

As a side note, I just planted pintos about two weeks ago and I also have some of Jim's Scarlet Runners which I'm not expecting beans from until fall, anyway.

Comments (9)

  • iam3killerbs
    14 years ago

    I'm thinking that you're right about too much nitrogen. Don't add more feather meal -- that's more nitrogen.

    You probably need to balance it with phosphate and potassium instead.

    Have you had a soil test done? Without one you can neglect something critical while overloading something you already have plenty of. :-)

  • trsinc
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    For some reason I was thinking feather meal was the p in NPK. You're right, it isn't. I knew that this spring but then I got mixed up.

    So, I was wondering what types of things you all use when you're having a production problem? I'm pretty much organic so I prefer the natural stuff. Bone meal was impossible to find this spring. Any other suggestions?

    And, no, I haven't had a soil test done. All my beds are raised with store bought cinder blocks, soil, and everything else. I get a little stingy when it comes to shelling out 35.00 both spring and fall. My soil changes both times. People figured it out once upon a time without the Ag Agent. I figure I can too. Maybe next year I'll try that one.

  • iam3killerbs
    14 years ago

    $35!!!!!

    Is that the state price or some private agency?

    All I had to pay for was the postage.

  • trsinc
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Well, I had to go check, lol. It's been a few years since I looked for a soil test. Whatever state or county site I ended up on last time directed me to a private agency because they no longer did them.

    Now, when searching, it seems that Texas A&M University is the one. They charge 25.00 for a routine + micronutients + organic matter test (per sample). Just a routine was 10.00 so that's not bad. Routine + organic is 20.00.

  • P POD
    14 years ago

    Too much shade could also be a reason for lack of beans. Any flowers yet?

  • trsinc
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    They don't get any shade. I have lots of flowers on the Insuk's beans, and just a couple on the Romas (they were planted a little later). The other red beans don't have any flowers yet.

    We did have a long cool spring. ?

  • tedposey
    14 years ago

    Does sound like too much fertilizer and too acid a soil Side dress with powdered dolomitic lime about a tablespoon per plant not too close to stalk. I don't know price since my 40 lb bag was bought years ago and still got 10 lb or more. A little goes a long way.
    Be sure you re-seal the bag since it can absorb high humidity and turn into rock.Lol

  • plantslayer
    14 years ago

    I had the same problem with runners, and dressing with lime seemed to fix the problem. Either that, or I just needed to wait longer...

  • chaman
    13 years ago

    This may be due to excessive N (Nitrogen) in the soil.Do not plant legumes in the same area every year.Legumes enrich the soil with N that will result in vegetative growth and no fruits.It is better to plant Corn at the place legumes were planted last year.Corns are heavy consumers of N that will reduce the N content of the soil.This is known as rotation of crops.

Sponsored
Uncommon Interiors
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars1 Review
Turnkey Interior Design Studio in Loudoun County, VA