Raised bed garden question.?

I planted green beans, snap peas, carrots, radishes, and peppers in my 4'x4'x12" raised garden beds. I have chicken wire and weed block plastic on the bottom to prevent animals getting in and weeds growing up into the bed.



I used bagged top soil along with bagged manure. I also put in some time-releasing food.



The plants get at least 6 hours of morning sunshine and at least 4 of afternoon sunshine.



However, my peppers are not growing (only one small shoot came up) and my green bean plants are yellow and seem to have stunted growth (they've been about 6 inches tall for about 2 months now.)



My other plants seem to be doing very well. The sweet peas are about 4 feet tall and have tons of pods. I've already harvested one batch of radishes... and the carrots are growing nicely.



Is there something I should add to the soil? Any suggestions for my poor green beans? I don't want to burn them with chemical fertilizers and don't have access to compost.
Raised bed garden question.?
I will give you what help I can here. I have no idea what seeds you bought or how old they were, but this could be the problem. Also the weather could have been unsuitable for the growth (sounds like too cold). I prefer to buy the plants for peppers and tomatoes and when I plant them I dig a hole and put in a thick muddy mixture of the soil dug out, , a cup of bonemeal, and water. Then I simply put the plant roots into the thick mud mixture and the bonemeal will rot to give great plants and peppers (or tomatoes). Also, since you have no compost, why not just do as i do and bury table scraps (not meats) as you plant. I always do and they break down and become usable fertilizer. I never use chemical fertilizer either.

Hope some of this helps.
Reply:you used plastic under the ground to prevent weeds, i understand but i hope it is not under your plants as well. they will burn up, the roots wont be able to go deep enough to get water or escape the heat of the sun.
Reply:I can see a problem with weed-block plastic on the bottom of the bed. That means your growing depth is only 12" - or less, if the soil doesn't come all the way up to the top. That stuff will keep things from growing up through - but also keep the roots of your plants from growing DOWN. The peppers have deep roots, and probably are complaining about the confinement.



Peas are shallow-rooted, as are carrots (depending on the variety) and radishes, so they should be happy enough.



I wouldn't have thought the beans would be THAT unhappy, though...so maybe there are nutritional deficiencies. There are organic fertilizers out there. Fish emulsion is a cheap, basic fertilizer you might try starting with.
Reply:There is just one problem I see and that is the plastic weed barrier. If the plastic is just layed flat over the ground there shouldn't be much of a problem. If the plastic comes up the sides of the raised bed that is the problem because the plastic is making a lake out of your bed. Do some investigative digging and see how wet the soil is.