Bean stalks bend in the cold due to stem rot
Question: I recently planted bean seeds in pots on my porch here in Las Vegas. However, after the bean stalks were half a foot tall, they bent over, turned dark and died.
This is probably crown rot. If you plant beans when the soil is too cold, they have a huge chance of developing crown rot at the point where the bean stem enters the soil.
This causes the stem to rot, and the plant dies or, as we say, "collapses."
If you plant beans when the soil is warmer, they have less chance of this happening.
Bob Morris is a professor emeritus in horticulture with the University of Nevada and can be reached at extremehort@aol.com. Visit his blog at xtremehorticulture.blogspot.com.