MY first sowing of climbing french beans did not come to much this year. Most of those that did appear produced just a pair of scabbylooking leaves and their growing points appeared to be missing. I bought new seeds so is there something wrong with my soil? I have never seen this problem before so any advice would be appreciated. M KITE

REG SAYS:

I reckon your beans have fallen victim to the ravages of bean seed fly whose larvae feed on the germinating seeds and new shoots while they are still under the soil.

They are white, legless maggots that hatch from eggs laid by adult females, which are like houseflies.

You are usually better off to discard them and sow again somewhere else in the plot as french beans can still be sown until late June.

A good idea would be to raise your young plants in pots. Also, cultivating the soil regularly in winter exposes the pupae to hungry birds. Dig in manure in autumn rather than spring as the female flies are attracted to fresh organic matter.

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