They sell bean transplants?!? I'm sorry, but garden centers are doing a great disservice to new gardeners by selling transplants of easy-sprouting but hard to transplant vegetables such as squash, melons, cucumbers, and, I guess, beans too. All of these plants will sprout and grow enthusiastically when direct seeded -- assuming the ground is warm enough. None of them appreciate having their roots disturbed. :-( I suspect that transplant shock weakened your plants so that the are succumbing to pests and diseases that stronger plants might have fought off. Another possibility is that in your zone beans may not survive the summer heat. Here in zone 7 in NC beans should be planted in May and in late July with the expectation that the bush varieties at least will not survive the blistering heat of June and July.

MomesqNY, I am having the same problem. I just tore down all my pole beans today and have to replant. This has been going on for a month now. I had perfectly healthy plants and started noticing that entire poles were missing leaves (whole leaves chomped off). Sometimes just the top leaves and then the bottom leaves would be gone the next day or vice versa. The beans were left completely untouched and intact. I am certain it is an animal and think it may be a rat! I've seen a rat running along the fence on that side of the yard several times. I purchased a rat trap 2 weeks ago, but have yet to set it up. I think that is the only critter that is capable of climbing the poles without dragging the whole plant down. We also have squirrels, but I haven't seen them in that area during the daytime. It is definitely a nighttime creature! I checked for droppings but didn't see anything, but I am not ruling it out. Does this sound like it may be what's eating your leaves as well? I'd hate to admit that there are rats on my property, but I am at a loss as to what it could be. We also have skunks, raccoons, coyotes and opossums but they would be much too big to climb the bamboo tepees I set up!

farmerdill: Good, I will try ordering the Ky. Wonder yellow wax pole beans for next season! The ? yellow pole Ky. Wonder I planted this year (in a separate cage x the Ky. Wonder green poles)germinated & grew fine... just had green-not yellow- beans! Now, is there any benefit to composting the green vines left of the beans? I guess I might get some of the beans left on the vines to germinate next seaon & confuse things though! Do the bean vines (& peas) supply any nitrogen when ground up? With our original caliche/clay (good for making pottery!)soil I am obsessive about composting anything I can to improve it & so far it has done a good job over the years: today I spaded up the entire garden & the soil has become dark & loaded with earthworms (oh yes... a few of those darn cutworms that soon saw the bottom of my shoe!). Would the paper x the shredder add anything good to the soil? I usually save a bag full for starting the fireplace.

Zeedman, wax beans I have to admit have not been a favorite of mine in the past, that is until I grew Barksdale, They're a little too mild in the taste department in most cases for me but GNM are comparable to Barksdale, picked young strings aren't a problem. Hubby thinks he can detect a hint of mushroom flavor but I haven't so far maybe it's a different mushroom than I've eaten.... now that I think of it maybe if my memory serves me right a similar taste to chanterelles sauted in butter, it's been awhile LOL. I just put half a dozen in the pot to try as a full bean.... hey they didn't turn out half bad, after removing the strings they turned out to very tender, with a mild buttery flavor with a hint of sweetness. As to the color of the beans in the above picture, it must have been the lighting as they're really more of a pale creamy yellow. Picture of the seed below, have you got this one in your stash :). Annette