I am also looking for these plant poles. Fortunately I still have several hooks. They are brass like the pole you talked about. My mother gave them to me before she died but she couldn't find the poles. We moved a lot in the late 60's and they were perfect to hang in any apartment or home we were in. I have search in vain for the poles. Thank you, Nancy R for posting that Miles Kimball now carry them. I checked the link and they do sell them with three hooks for 29.99. A little steep for me. I may buy one just to use as an example for someone to make me more. You all have brought back fond memories of my mother and her love for plants. Thanks

Thank you!

Ditto on the above comments - don't take that website as gospel. Given adequate space & fertile soil, the yield from pole limas can indeed be very high. But while the yield from a single coddled pole bean can be remarkable (I grew one pound of pole snap bean seed per plant last year) I can't see 10-20 pounds per plant as being feasible. Using 24" spacing between pole lima plants, I get somewhere around 4-5 pounds of shellies per plant, if the season is long enough for all pods to reach maturity. Assuming this estimate to be correct, that works out to about 1-2 pounds per row foot for pole limas. Yield can vary considerable, depending upon variety; "Sieva" (a.k.a. "Carolina") has been my highest yielder. Keep in mind, the yield advantage for pole beans vs. bush beans is row-for-row. For a single row, pole beans are clearly the winner; but for multiple rows, because of the wider row spacing required, much of this advantage is lost. You can fit more rows of bush limas into a given area than rows of pole limas, so if you have the space, it may not matter. Most of the larger-seeded varieties, however, are pole. I do concur with their recommendation for mulching, although their emphasis on one exact depth seems arbitrary. Mulching is good practice for any pole bean, once the seedlings have their first true leaf. By conserving moisture, it reduces blossom drop, which improves the yield. It also provides nutrients as it breaks down, and reduces disease problems caused by mud splash.

It could be frost damage, since I notice that there are healthier leaves further down. My killing freeze is very late this year (not that I'm complaining, mind you), but there were a couple light frosts this week, and the few beans that still have foliage look very much like yours. There is probably no cause for concern. Most beans are winding down at this time of year anyway, if they are not already dead. I would recommend checking the underside of the leaves, but chances are that both your compost & your seeds are safe.