I hope someone can answer this as I have the exact same problem. I have four rows of Contender bush beans and two rows of Kentucky Wonder pole beans. The bush beans are producing very well and I have picked several times. The pole beans have yet to flower. I fertilized but was told that beans really don't require any fertilizing. All were planted at the same time and two rows of the bush beans are in an area that has a little more shade than I would like,but they are still producing. I have raised the same beans for three years with no problems until now. I also had japanese beetles earlier in the year but they are not an issue presently. I hope someone has an answer.

I hope someone can answer this as I have the exact same problem. I have four rows of Contender bush beans and two rows of Kentucky Wonder pole beans. The bush beans are producing very well and I have picked several times. The pole beans have yet to flower. I fertilized but was told that beans really don't require any fertilizing. All were planted at the same time and two rows of the bush beans are in an area that has a little more shade than I would like,but they are still producing. I have raised the same beans for three years with no problems until now. I also had japanese beetles earlier in the year but they are not an issue presently. I hope someone has an answer.

I think bush beans usually come in earlier than pole beans (that's why I plant them). So that doesn't surprise me. At least I think mine do - you might check the expected maturation date on the packages and see if that's the case for you.

But my pole beans - the believe that the Neckargold were listed as later than the Blue Lake pole beans - so it seems odd to me that the Blue Lakes aren't even flowering while I've been harvesting lots of Neckargold for over a week.

Not that I am an expert, but I planted Contender and Blue Lake side by side on the same day and the Blue Lake bloomed a full 10 days later than the Contender and produced less. FWIW.

Hmmm. Thanks. OK, well I guess I'll just consider that the seed pkg fibbed to me, and be glad the vines look nice and healthy. Hopefully they'll produce soon.

In them meantime, the blue lake bush beans are nice, and my bush Gold Rush are delicious - good consolation prizes.

I've got an incredibly lush 8' high trellis of Genuine Cornfield that is showing no sign of flowering. I planted it on May 7, and it is supposed to mature in 70 days, so it is way behind.

My vine limas are looking kinda scraggly this year, and the few pods that I have are not filling out. Some of the bush beans have lost a lot of the pods before they filled out.

June was very dry, but I kept the garden watered. It has been unusually hot this summer, and the last few weeks have seen a lot of late thunderstorms.

Summary: 3 limas, 2 green, nothing to eat yet

I have the same problems with my Blue Lake pole beans. I planted them May 1 and have had only three flowers on one plant.

My Japanese Beetle problem was probably a little worse than yours because of my raspaberry bushes but I still wasn't hit that hard except for the top leaves.

I grew Kentucky Wonder and Neckargold in the same spot last year and got real good production out of both of them. We'll just wait and see but I don't think I will be growing Blue Lake next year.

I'm beginning to wonder if at least some beans delay FLOWERING on account of heat. I have a couple different pole beans, in the garden now, which are growing very well, but have not shown any inclination to flower. The the only pole bean I have which is flowering is Tennessee Cutshort, and it is not producing much. We are experiencing extreme heat, and have been for about a month. It's been an unusual summer here, because we have not only had lots of heat, but also fairly constant rainfall. At least our sweet potatoes should make real well! But I'm hoping, when the temperatures begin to moderate (hopefully) in August, that we're going to get a "gusher" of beans!

George
Tahlequah, OK

It has been hot. I had both Kentucky Wonder and Blue Lake pole beans last year - seems they both did fine. I really like the taste of the Blue Lake. Well, still crossing my fingers, terrific vines - they're so long they're sticking off the top of the trellis, and literally grab me when I walk by!

I hope the Blue Lake come in before the Neckargold quit - I really enjoy cooking dishes with the two together.

Now, if they'd just make a purple bean that stays purple after cooking...

I think the extreme heat this summer has put my pole beans (Fortex) off from flowering. I planted fairly early and flowering had started before the high temps set in. Then flowering stopped altogether. After a couple of cooler (below 93) weeks, the beans began to set flowers again. Last summer, which was much cooler here, this variety was producing like crazy-more beans than leaves.

Well, I still have a few Neckargold. The Blue Lakes are finally flowering a little - but no signs of a bean yet. Wow that is slow.

Interestingly, I have had some flowers on Scarlet Runner Beans for ages - but no beans.

Very wierd year for beans.

Alas, I am experiencing the non-flowering problem with my blue lake pole beans as well. I am very fearfull that for the first time, after many years of planting pole beans, that I will end up with ZERO beans!

It has been blistering hot for several weeks here in the STL area, and I am presuming that is the problem.

I responded to this thread on July 18 at which time my Ky. Wonder pole beans had yet to flower. A week or so later, the temps cooled a little from mid 90's to low to mid 80's. Within days the vines started flowering and I have picked beans twice in the last week. Strangely, the bush beans have shut down much of their production. Good luck. Unc

I live in Upsate Central New York State z5 and planted my Romano Italian Pole Beans (by transplant as I always do) on Memorial Day Weekend.

I have the most fantastic looking vines any Gardner would envy, and "Jack" would die for. Problem as above "No Flowers", "No Beans". First time ever that's happened and we have had a pretty hot summer with many days in the 90's.

I'm ready to start cutting down as the vines are so long, I would not be surprised in the 12' or more foot length that they are stressing out my pole and string system to the point getting ready to crash to the ground.

As from this post it sounds like the heat may be the cause. It's to bad we love beans and tomatoes in oil. And of course for the second year we've got the blight on tomatoes. But at least we'll have tomatoes till September.

I sprayed all my vines with a high phosphorus soluble fertilizer nearly two weeks ago, and was rewarded with a flush of blooms on nearly all of them. (There is one vine that still hasn't bloomed. Maybe I missed spraying that one.) They are all forming pods too so it isn't just blooms. It has been hot here too, with a few cooler days, and 4 inches of rain.

This is the first year I did not use innoculant, and these are the slowest vines to flower ever. YMMV.

I have a different problem that I'm somebody can provide an answer for. I have tons of flowers on my purple pole beans, and have had them for well over a month. But nary a bean. Plenty of bees, strictly organic, plants look healthy (and my tallest vine is about 12 foot tall) But no beans! Help!

Did you look closely through the leaves near the bottom?