Not a bean

[Gordonmull]

Well not quite, but i don't think 5 pods is much return on a packet of seed.

Sowed 27 seeds succesionally over 3 bags of compost (Lidl's) and I could see them failing. Chucked the rest of the packet into a row in the plot and they also seem to be going the same way. At first i thought it was maybe the cheap compost but now the ones in the plot are doing the same.

What is happening is that the flowers are just turning black and falliing off the stalks. The leaf tips then turn black and whole leafs just die away. The stems seem fine and green. No insect pests seem to be present, I keep them well watered, I see bees and hoverflys visiting, but very few beans.

[Gordonmull]

[galina]

Strange, Gordonmull.  I have used the same compost, mostly their peatfree version, and no problem getting beans started.  I wonder what variety it was.  You really did not get an appropriate return.  It is not a good year for beans, they hated the dry conditions earlier in the year.

[Monkey Brains]

It's not been a good year for beans. Although mine did crop ok, they've been nowhere near as bountiful as in previous years, and have also been stringy & tough as old boots, so not at all pleasant to eat.

[kimbobill]

I had problems with Lidl's compost, it contained shards of glass and other things(can't remember what they were as it was last year), made me very wary and it was a 40 mile trip to take it back so sieved it and told the store about it the next time I visited. I have never bought it again though