Could you tell me if it makes a difference if my pole beans receive morning or afternoon sun? I have a fence line and they seem to grow better on the west side of my yard. Do you know this to be a fact?
Afternoon sun is considered to be the stronger sun and is certainly warmer. All things being equal, afternoon sun is better for vegetables, but there are things that could make afternoon sun not as good for the plants. For example, a dark or reflective surface nearby could reflect too much light or the extra warm sun could dry out the soil more quickly.
When planting beans does it make any difference if the eye is facing up or down?
Makes no difference at all. Plants are designed with the ability to sense gravity and most seeds will send the roots down and the shoots up, no matter the way they are planted. Even the plants (and beans are not one of them) that do better when planted a certain direction will figure it out. It just takes them a little longer to break the surface than if they were planted the right direction.
What minerals and nutrients found in the soil are best for bean plants? Can you add nutrients to the soil so the plants grow better? If so, what kind of nutrients?
Beans do best in soil that has been inoculated. This article will explain more on that:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/beans/soil-inoculants.htm
Beyond that, I would recommend a balanced fertilizer for beans.
If beans are going to be planted in the same spot all the time, what should be added to the soil to improve it? Also, we had flourishing bean plants, but few beans, and the beans we had were soft and lacked the seeds inside the seed pods. Do you know how to fix this?
Crop rotation is actually pretty important, and without it, you're bound to have problems like the ones you've already encountered. I would recommend rotating your beans in order to give them a healthy chance. You may also want to consider using inoculant. These articles will better explain both crop rotation and inoculants: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/vgen/rotating-vegetables.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/beans/soil-inoculants.htm
Last time I planted shell beans, I dried them in the dehydrator for 12 hours and then jarred them and they still molded. I just saw an article about when to harvest, and they said pick when pod is full and hard and then store for two months.
Letting them dry on the plant will help with storage time. When you store them, also try putting them in a breathable container so that any leftover moisture can be let out from the beans.
We have grown beans in previous years and have never encountered the problems which we have had this year. We have set bean seeds in the usual way but have not had many germinating. When we check the soil after several weeks, there is no sign of any seed. We thought at first it may have been eaten, but the soil is not disturbed and there is no trace of either the beans or any 'livestock'. Dirt is not especially wet or dry - can think of no reason - Help!
Even though the soil is not disturbed, I still suspect that some small animal is taking it, possibly from below. Possibilities include voles or chipmunks. These articles will help: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/chipmunk-control-eliminating-chipmunks-from-your-garden.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/animals/vole-control.htm
Every morning my net around the dwarf beans is down and some more heads appear to have been bitten off. What do you think is doing this? It is a night op.
There may be many likely culprits, and yes, this is probably occuring at night if you have not seen anything during the day. There are a lot of animals that feed at night, as well as slugs. These articles will help pinpoint the cause and provide ways to handle it: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/animals/camouflage-gardening-deterring-garden-crashers-pests.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/facts-about-slugs-and-how-to-kill-garden-slugs.htm