General failure in summer garden

[calvey]

Hi I am in SE Florida (Boca Raton).

I have a few different veggies I have been trying to grow this year and seem to be failing.

First my long pole beans.... They ran up the poles, finally flowered but no pods and seemed to have got infected over the last couple weeks once flowering. Was it just the heat? I read that if the soil is too good they may do bad? I am trying to be very organic, with no pesticides...and I do think my beans have gotten white flies but that was just recently.


https://www.novakmedia.com/kse/images/ga ... ebeans.jpg

I have also been growing sunflowers for the seeds they started out well and then over the last week the heads are dying and being invaded by these: Can my remaining flower be saved?


https://www.novakmedia.com/kse/images/ga ... lower1.jpg

https://www.novakmedia.com/kse/images/ga ... lower2.jpg

I know it is hot here, but everyone has told me that if you are diligent you can have a summer garden.

My Okra grew. That's it.

[Dillbert]

I can certainly commiserate on the beans. working on year three for climbing/pole limas. I'm suspecting the constant high temps prevent decent pollination.

I've not observed the "temperature" issue with bush type green / wax beans, but that may be a figment of my imagination.

too much nitrogen can affect plants - I.e. lots of vine, no beans. possible but not all too likely in your situation.

>>sunflowers
odds be they'll do fine. many insects are drawn to the flower heads. in the absence of an overwhelming "eat everything bug" they should set seed. once the seed is set, you can wrap the heads in cheese cloth / other options to let them seeds fully develop without being devoured by pests. you can harvest them anytime after the seeds are set and developed - hang to dry in the proverbial "cool & dry place" - a challenge in FL - but that's how it goes.

[calvey]

Thanks...with the sunflowers, how can I tell the seeds have set? Is it obvious? I have a back bedroom that is cool and dry.

[Dillbert]

yes, it's obvious. the yellow flowers dry up and you can see the "fat" end of the seed - the seeds make a 'smooth' surface over the face of the head.

[imafan26]

The thing with sunflower is that you have a long time for anticipation, but reality is that the flower peaks in about 5 days and the head droops and the petals dry up. Pick off the beetles. Later cover the seed heads unless you want to feed the birds.

Beans are actually heavy nitrogen feeders so unless you inoculate your seed, even in organic soil you may not get great nodulation. How old are the vines? Beans should flower in 70 days. As long as you have good water they should produce.

It is hard to tell from the picture but you might have bean rust. It is hard to control once it starts and it does affect the production of pods. I grow rust resistant beans, it really helps since I live in the tropics where humidity is high most of the time.