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Problem Solver Plant Marquee

Plant:

Beans
Image of Beans
Adaptation
Throughout the United States.
Planting Method
Sow seeds 1 to 11/2 inches deep and 1 to 2 inches apart. Thin to 2 to 4 inches apart when the seedlings have their first set of leaves.
Soil
Use a garden soil that''s rich in organic material.
Water
How much: Water deeply when the soil is barely moist.
Planting
Sow seeds 1 to 11/2 inches deep and 1 to 2 inches apart. Thin to 2 to 4 inches apart when the seedlings have their first set of leaves.
Fertilizer
Fertilize with a continuous-release plant food as needed throughout the growing season.
Harvest
Break the beans from the vines, being careful not to jerk or tear the vine. Pick beans when they are ready. If overmature beans remain on the vines, production of young beans is greatly reduced. Cool beans in the refrigerator until use. Harvesting times: Snap (green) beans: When the seed in the pod begins to swell. Lima beans: When the pods are well filled, but still bright green.
Light
Full sun.
Related problems

Aphids - Beans

Image of Aphids - Beans
Aphids

Bacterial Blight - Beans

Image of Bacterial Blight - Beans
Bacterial Blight

Bean Mosaic -

Image of Bean Mosaic
Bean Mosaic

Mexican Bean Beetle -

Image of Mexican Bean Beetle
Mexican Bean Beetle

Seedcorn Maggot - Beans

Image of Seedcorn Maggot - Beans
Seedcorn Maggot

Twospotted Spider Mite - Beans

Image of Twospotted Spider Mite - Beans
Twospotted Spider Mite
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Aphids - Beans

Image of Aphids - Beans
Aphids
Description
Young leaves are curled, distorted, and yellow. Small pale-green to black, soft-bodied insects cluster on leaves and stems. A shiny, sticky substance may coat the leaves. Ants may be present.
Analysis

Aphids do little damage in small numbers. They are extremely prolific, however, and populations can rapidly build up to tremendous numbers during the growing season. Damage occurs when the aphid sucks the juices from bean leaves. The aphid is unable to digest fully all the sugar in the plant sap, and it excretes the excess in a fluid called honeydew, which often drops onto the leaves below. Ants feed on the sticky substance and are often present where there is an aphid infestation.

Solution

Apply an insecticide labeled for this pest, following instructions on the label. Mites are difficult to control because they reproduce so rapidly. Hose down plants with a high-pressure nozzle every few days to knock off webs and mites.

Close

Bacterial Blight - Beans

Image of Bacterial Blight - Beans
Bacterial Blight
Description
Small, water-soaked spots appear on the leaves. These spots enlarge, turn brown, and may kill the leaf. In cool weather, narrow yellow-green halos may border the infected spots. The leaves either turn yellow and die slowly or turn brown rapidly and drop off. Long reddish lesions may girdle the stem. In moist conditions, a tan or yellow ooze is produced in spots on the pods.
Analysis

Two widespread bacterial blights that affect all kinds of beans are common blight (caused by Xanthomonas phaseoli) and halo blight (caused by Pseudomonas phaseolicola). Common blight is more severe in warm, moist weather; halo blight is favored by cool temperatures. The bacteria are usually introduced into a garden on infected seed and can live on infected plant debris in the soil for as long as 2 years. They are spread by rain, splashing water, and contaminated tools. The bacteria multiply rapidly in humid weather. If water-conducting tissue is invaded, bacteria and dead cells eventually clog the veins, causing leaf discoloration. Often bacteria ooze from infected spots in a yellow or cream-colored mass.

Solution

Water close to the base of he plant. Avoid working with the wet plants. Plant beans in different locations every year. Purchase new seed from a reputable company.

Close

Bean Mosaic -

Image of Bean Mosaic
Bean Mosaic
Description
Leaves are mottled yellow and green and may be longer and narrower than usual and puckered. Raised dark areas develop along the central vein, and the leaf margins curl downward. The whole plant is stunted. Pods on the affected plants may be faded, rough, and few in number. The seeds inside are shriveled and small.
Analysis

Bean common mosaic and bean yellow mosaic are widespread viral diseases that are difficult to distinguish from one another. Common mosaic virus affects only French and snap beans; yellow mosaic virus affects lima beans, peas, summer squash, clover, gladiolus, and other perennial flowers. Both diseases are spread by aphids, which transmit the virus as they feed. In warmer parts of the country with large aphid populations, the disease spreads rapidly. Common bean mosaic is also spread in infected seed. If the infection occurs early in the season when the plants are young, the plants may not bear pods. Infection later in the season does not affect pod production as severely.

Solution

Remove all infected plants and all clover plants in the vicinity of the garden. Plant virus-resistant varieties.

Close

Mexican Bean Beetle -

Image of Mexican Bean Beetle
Mexican Bean Beetle
Description
The tissue between the leaf veins is eaten, giving the leaves a lacelike appearance. Copper-colored beetles about 1/4 inch long feed on the undersides of the skeletonized leaves. The beetles have sixteen black spots on their backs. Orange to yellow soft-bodied grubs, about 1/3 inch long with black-tipped spines on their backs, may also be present. Leaves dry up, and the plant may die.
Analysis

Epilachna varivestis This beetle is found throughout the United States. It prefers lima beans but also feeds on pole and bush beans and cowpeas. Feeding damage by both adults and larvae can reduce pod production. Adult beetles spend the winter in plant debris in the garden and emerge in late spring and early summer. They lay yellow eggs on the undersides of leaves. Larvae that hatch from these eggs, in early to midsummer, are green at first and gradually turn yellow. One to four generations occur per year. Frequently, all stages of beetles appear at the same time throughout the season. Hot, dry summers and cold winters reduce the beetle population.

Solution

Apply a garden insecticide labeled for Mexican bean beetle when the adults first appear, following the instructions. Remove and destroy all plant debris after the harvest to reduce overwintering spots for adults.

Close

Seedcorn Maggot - Beans

Image of Seedcorn Maggot - Beans
Seedcorn Maggot
Description
Seeds may not sprout. If they do, the weak plants wilt and collapse shortly after emerging. Cream-colored, legless maggots about 1/4 inch long are feeding on the seeds.
Analysis

Hylemya platura The seedcorn maggot feeds on many vegetables, including beets, beans, peas, onions, cucumbers, and cabbage. It damages seeds and germinating seedlings by tunneling into them and feeding on the tissue. If the seed is only partially destroyed, the plants that sprout are weak and sickly and soon die. These pests can be responsible for snakeheads. The seedcorn maggot is favored by cold, wet soil with a high manure content. It spends the winter as a larva or a pupa in soil, plant debris, or manure and becomes active in the early spring. The adults-flies slightly smaller than houseflies-emerge from May to July and lay eggs in the rich soil or on seeds or seedlings. The overwintering maggots cause the most damage. Those of later generations are of less importance. Three to five generations occur per year.

Solution

Remove any damaged seeds and sickly plants. Replant with insecticide-treated seeds. Plant seeds in the spring when temperatures are warm, so they germinate quickly.

Close

Twospotted Spider Mite - Beans

Image of Twospotted Spider Mite - Beans
Twospotted Spider Mite
Description
Leaves are wilted, stippled, yellowing, and dirty. Leaves may dry out and drop. There may be fine webbing over flower buds and around leaves. Plants lose vigor. To check for twospotted spider mites, hold a sheet of white paper underneath an affected leaf and tap the leaf sharply. Minute specks the size of pepper grains will drop to the paper and begin to crawl around.
Analysis

Tetranychus urticae These mites, related to spiders, are major pests of many garden and greenhouse plants. They cause damage by sucking sap from the undersides of leaves. As a result of their feeding, the plant''s green leaf pigment disappears, producing the stippled appearance. Spider mite webbing traps cast-off skins and debris, making the plant messy. Mites are active throughout the growing season but are favored by hot, dry weather (70&deg;F and up). By midsummer, they have built up to tremendous numbers.

Solution

Apply an insecticide labeled for this pest, following instructions on the label. Mites are difficult to control because they reproduce so rapidly. Hose down plants with a high-pressure nozzle every few days to knock off webs and mites.

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