Just to correct my typo. The raised bed was filled with compost if nothing else. She does not know for sure what might have been mixed with the compost if anything. Thanks again. Ken

were the plants hardened off to full blistering sun.. ??? or taken from a house or greenhouse.. and planted out there without suntan lotion???

ken

To my knowledge they were taken from a window environment and planted. Thanks ken

Are those in the peat pots with the plastic rim?

windows.. especially newer ones.. are no better than half sun.. and its like you put my freckled redhead out in sun.. after being indoors all winter..

the leaves simply could not take the burning rays of 100% sun .. next year ... bring them outside into shade for a week.. and then start moving them.. to brighter and brighter .. more direct sun ... ease them into it ... that is what we call 'hardening them off' ...

and dont get me started on peat pots ... if in fact that is what purp sees ... lets try something else next year ... indoors ...

ken

Yes, it does look like the little netted coverings over those peat pellets or maybe a peat pot. Terrible things.

Your friend could have simply planted her bean seeds directly into the outdoor garden, the old fashioned way, as soon as all chance of frost was past. That could have been February or early March in zone 9. (just guessing) Where does your friend live?

I like to start some of my plants early (such as tomatoes) but most of them get planted 'the old fashioned way. Those that are started inside are sown sometime in the winter, so that they are good sized and raring to go once the temperatures warm up a bit. I harden them off over about a two week period before planting, exposing them to more and more sun and wind.

I don't think that we can offer an opinion about the compost quality, whether or not it is too hot, or the moisture content of the planting area. Those things can readily be determined by the trusty digital temperature/moisture sensing devices attached to the end of her arms.

Tell her to dig around to see if the bed is shedding water from the top so that the inside is dry...or if it is steaming hot to the touch a few inches inside.

She could also contact her local Extension office (or website) for a vegetable planting calendar. It might not be too long before she could plant some things for a fall crop.

I was told that she did harden them at least some. However somewhere around the time they were transplanted we had several days of temps in the 90's. I found out that the dirt is supposed to be a garden blend from a landscape supplier. The plants do look to be in some king of expanding peat pot that looks to be contained in almost plastic wrap of some kind. I was mostly unsure because the leaves are crispy brown while the stems are still strong and green. She is afraid to put more plants in the raised bed for fear that there is a problem in it. I guess other transplants into the ground did better. Thanks again for the help. Ken

Just out of curiosity, what is bad about the peat pellets?

IME, they don't decompose as fast as they should to do the job they claim they will. Even if you rip off the netting from the expanding type, or rip the bottom out of the formed kind with the plastic lip, these plants just don't seem to do as well for me as those from seed sowed directly, or transplanted from regular little pots or flats. The longer I garden, the more convinced I am that peat, in any form, is just really awful stuff. Every time there's a problem, peat seems to be involved.

Plus, those pellets are 100% peat, and very finely processed. Frankly, peat makes a very poor growing medium for anything unless it is combined with a large percentage of other things to give it some porosity and coarse texture.