Why Are My Green Beans Yellow?

Question:

My green beans are yellowish. What are they lacking?

Hardiness Zone: 9b

Leslie from Las Vegas, NV

Answer:

Leslie,

If it's just the pods turning yellow, your beans are probably not lacking in anything. Some varieties fade to yellow as the pods age.

If entire plants are turning yellow, that's another story. It could be a sign of root problems, or a signal a nutrient deficiency. Here are signs of deficiencies for each of the three main nutrients needed by plants:

Normally, plants lacking sufficient nitrogen will be short, thin, and yellowish green, especially in the lower leaves. The leaves will turn yellow first, and then turn brown and crispy.

Plants with potassium deficiencies have mottled, spotted, or streaked leaves, and the leaves curl at the ends. The leaf margins die and flake out, leaving ragged edges. Poor root development may also result in the plant falling over as the stem develops.

Plants lacking sufficient phosphorus develop leaves, petioles, and stems with a purple cast. They grow slowly, and if they mature at all, it's very late in the season. Older leaves turn brown and shed early.

Ellen