How Does Your Garden Grow?

The beans have been growing for ten or eleven weeks now!*

*except mine because I don't follow my own advice.

Julie's beans are blooming on an east-facing balcony!
(South Everett)

Kirby's plants are doing great in this raised bed!
(Marysville)

Lucia has guard rails up to keep the bunnies out!
(Mt Vernon)

Patty's beans in the foreground are happy in aged manure,
and beans in the background are less-happy in fresher, hotter manure.
(Fish Creek Farm, Arlington)

Betsey had to replant after predators killed the first plants.
(North Everett)

Funder has blossoms and beans in the garden.
(Poulsbo)

Shannon's beans are starting to bulge!
(Lake Stevens)

Melody and Adrian have kept their beans alive,
despite caring for two young children!
(Arlington)

Mark's container-grown plants get plenty of light and water, but seem underwhelmed by
their life choices--possibly because there are onions planted nearby?
(Everett)

*Because I planted in late April instead of Mother's Day Weekend, 
I'm now harvesting green beans!  (Haiku Farm, Arlington)

Most of the photos are showing good, healthy plants, which is awesome.  

What obstacles are you facing with your beans?  How are you countering the challenges?

Here are some common bean-growing problems:

• Vertebrate pests (bunnies, deer)
• Non-vertebrate pests (slugs, snails)
• Disease  
• Watering issues (too much/too little water)
• Heat stress

To that list, my farm adds "trampled by dinosaurs", a situation caused by the resident Shetland Sheepdogs who roar and race through the gardens during their early-morning chase game.

Sheltie-saurus Rex, trampler of gardens

For more information about disease and pest management, take a look at pages 3-5 in the WSU Guide to Growing Dry Beans in Home Gardens, available HERE.