| I had similar problems with yardlongs for the first few years that I grew them. Several possibilities: (1) Too crowded - for me, 12-18" between plants is optimal, depending upon variety. Closer than that, they may revert to a half-runner habit. If you _don't_ want to trellis, try crowding 3 to a hill, with 12-15" between hills (this works well with "Liana").
(2) Need mulch - soil splashed onto leaves seems to stunt growth, for all my beans except limas. The purple yardlongs seem especially sensitive to this. Once mulched & sprayed clean, they grow much faster.
(3) Variety grown - the purple varieties are poor climbers, compared to the green-podded types.
(4) Wrong support - some yardlongs seem to be especially choosey about what they climb; they prefer natural materials such as wood, cotton string, and natural twine. Metal & plastic are climbed only reluctantly, although _rusty_ fencing seems OK. Once again, the purple varieties are the worst offenders... Heck, let's face it, the purple varieties like "Red Noodle" would rather trail across the ground! But they have, in my opinion, the best flavor & texture; so they are well worth growing, in spite of their flaws. I might have added the possibility of cool weather causing slow growth, but if your limas are growing well, then weather is not likely to be the problem. Hope something here helps... good luck. |
