Q: We planted Kentucky Wonder pole beans in April. They are climbing up the support poles nicely but they have been blooming for over two weeks with no sign of beans!
A: Bean flower drop is related to fertilization but not in a way you might think. The bloom drop is common when the flowers are exposed to temperatures above 90 degrees for several days. Flowers exposed to sunshine in the afternoon are more likely to drop than those shaded by leaves. Although over-fertilizing can lead to flower drop, under-fertilizing leads to thinner leaf cover and less shade for flowers. If you see that many flowers are exposed to a lot of sunshine, fertilize with houseplant food to get more leaves and wait for temperatures to drop a bit.