I've never had older beans affect how well it blossoms. Germination rates are the biggest issue. And this year, doing a large growout of older seed, I've had many headless plants, which have taken longer to start vining, if they do vine at all.

Constant 90+ degree temps means a slow year, here.

Gary

Thanks Gary.
What do you mean by headless plants? How did they get headless?

Last year we had a drought, but I watered every other day. But....the high temps really wrecked my beans. I think I got just a couple handfulls out of a bunch of vines. The cucs and the tomatoes did great though.
This year, my pole kentucky blue beans started producing a couple weeks ago. But my Blue lake barely have any blossoms. I hope they're just late.
I think another mistake I made was over-planting. I'm always afraid some won't sprout.......then they all do, and I don't have the heart to thin them. But I think it robs them to have too many. Also, some of them didn't vine well and are creating a shelter at the bottom of the trellises for mice. :(
Next year, I'll try to be strong, and not over-plant. :)

Thanks again.

Headless as in no leader, they just come up with only the cots showing. Where the vine would start is sort of a small dead area. After a week, or so, there may be growth at the base of the cot stem, and that will turn into a vine. If not, the plant dies.

Gary

So you think they were headless because of their age?

Mostly due to age.

Many of my beans are experimental selections of natural crosses. These will rarely produce headless plants using last years saved seed. The 4-5 year old seed produces headless plants much more often.

Gary

Thanks Gary.