Hello everyone! I planted my first garden this year in 5 gallon buckets and have run into trouble. I have 14 buckets with two varieties of bush bean, plus 7 others with rosemary, thyme, carrots, radishes, and strawberries. A couple weeks ago I started noticing leaves on my bush beans turning yellow and getting brown spots. They eventually shrivel and fall off. It spread through one variety of bean, and now is affecting the others as well. Whole plants are starting to die. I am watering 2-3 times a week. I also applied miracle grow organic granules a few weeks ago (the type you don’t mix with water, but sprinkle on the top). I had problems with slugs eating my plants, but used some Correys Slug Killer and it seems to have got them in check. Is this some type of disease or fungus? We had an extremely wet spring here, but it hasn’t been raining much lately. I am about to lose a bunch of plants. What am I doing wrong? Any advice would be appreciated.
Yes. I drilled quite a few large holes in the bottom of each bucket and added a couple inches of large gravel before I put my potting soil in. They seem to drain very well.
Dig one up and let us see what the roots look like ! Here is one thing you run into with potting soil ! It does not hold water unless you let it soak a while ! Miracle Grow is ok for flowers but isn`t worth a cuss for vegetables ! Unless there is something about the roots,, your plants look like they are starved for food ( there are none in potting soil) and regular water !
Here is the roots of one. Also, the potting soil and miracle grow I used. I threw a couple shovels of black cow manure in with each bag of potting mix too. It looks like it’s moving to my strawberry plants too.
Beans need more regular watering, but never water their leaves, because this gives them fungal diseases.
I gave them some extra water this morning and took care to keep it off the leaves. Should I get something to spray on them for fungus and disease or fertilize them, or is this a lost cause?
Only thing I see about the roots and the plant as well is lack of development ! There has been no food getting to the plant ! If the roots do not grow well,, neither will the plant ! Just use regular commercial fertilizer,,, Triple 8 up to 13-13-13 and that will feed the plant ! I never use anything that says (organic) I like to eat too well ! Use your miracle grow on the flowers !
Here's an update. I applied fertilizer Saturday and have been watering every morning. A few of the bigger plants perked up, but not much. All the smaller plants I planted two weeks later are dead. I am thinking of just replanting all of them.
Cloyd I am afraid I am clueless. I thought you couldn't kill beans. Our daughter has grown them in little paper cups for school as a kid. I have had voles and rabbits eat the leaves but never had a fungus or bug go for them. ?? Is your seed fresh?
What are you fertilizing with ? Your pots look tiny ! And if you are using potting soil,, it does not retain water so your fertilizer is just going straight through and is not helping the plants at all !
I used Hyponex 13-13-13 from Home Depot to fertilize them. They are standard food grade 5 gallon buckets, 4 bean plants to a bucket. The seed says it is fresh. I planted two different varieties and they sprouted quickly and grew well for 6 weeks or so.
Well, to me they look dead from lack of water. I water containers EVERY day. stick your finger in to the first knuckle. if its dry water it. a goodly amount. that there 13 13 13 fert?... umm I would never recommend that for container gardening. use something such as Jobes, Tomato Tone, Texas tomato fertilizer Esposima... any of those organic manure based fertilizers. and sparingly. container gardening is an art, believe me. I grow a few things in containers and it is far harder than in the ground. constant monitoring of the water and correct fertilizer application is harder than it appears.
That is what I use for my plants in pots and works great !! Carolyn,, if you look at the pic of the roots,, it shows little growth at all !! They should be double/triple that size ! If the 13-13-13 had been used from the start I don`t think there would have been a problem ! But after the plants were so stressed,, its kind of a losing battle ! 8-8-8 works too just have to use a little more ! They are using potting soil so that is a sterile medium,, all food has to be added ! I fertilize my containers at least every two weeks ! I start with about a TBSP on each side of the seeds keeping about 6 inches away ! After plants get started I just sprinkle on top of the ground and add water ! Water will take it to the roots ! I have tomato plants now from three feet to over 6 feet tall and loaded with tomatoes ! Picked the first red ones this week since I was late planting them !
