Why Are The Flowers And Pods On My Bean Crop Decaying?

Are the blossoms of your beans present but no pods are forming?

Was the weather unusually hot this season with temperatures over 85°F?

Has your bean suffered mechanical injury from the hails, high winds or heavy rain?

Do the pods have dark, round, sunken spots with light centers on them?

Do the pods have water-soaked or brown patches on them and is the seed yellow and blotched?

Do the pods have white spots on them?

Are the pods of your beans rough, mottled and deformed?

Do the pods have chewed holes on them?

Do the pods have wartlike pimples on them?

Are the pods of your beans pitted and browned?

Excessive heat can cause flowers to drop and not produce pods. New blossoms will appear when the weather had cool down a bit.

Mechanical injuries can cause flowers to drop and not produce pods. New blossoms will appear when the plants recover from injuries.

Zinc deficiency can cause pods to drop. Spray plants with seaweed extract to prevent zinc deficiency problems.

These symptoms often indicate a fungal disease - Antrachnose. You can control it with sulfur spray. Prevent problems by planting resistant cultivars like "Espada" or "Marbel".

Water-soaked spots on bean pods are caused by bacterial blight. The copper spray will help in reducing the spread of the disease. If there are no new pods on the plant, you should remove the diseased plants.

White spots on pods are caused by fungal infections - Downy mildew, powdery mildew or white mold. Downy mildew attacks only lima beans, but powdery mildew and white mold can attack all types of beans. To control fungal diseases, thin plants to increase air movement. If the weather is wet spray sulfur in the evening.

Rough, mottled and deformed pods often indicate viral disease - Bean mosaic. Remove and destroy infected plants. Control aphids with insecticidal soap as they are the most likely carriers od bean mosaic virus.

Chewed holes on bean pods are caused by some type of caterpillars. Cover plants with row cover to prevent problems. You can control caterpillars with BTK spray.

Wartlike pimples on bean pods often indicate insects - Green stink bugs. The adult green stink bug is large, flat and shield-shaped. Nymphs have reddish markings on them. Contol them by handpicking and destroying them. With severe infestations use pyrethrin spray or dust.

Pitted and browned pods on beans usually indicate a cold injury. Most bean cultivars can be damaged at temperatures below 45°F Protect late crops with row cover.

If the dry beans are riddled with tunnels, most likely culprit are insects - Bean weevils. Adult weevils are small, dray or brown long snout beetles. Larvae are small and light-colored. To control these pests, store beans at 0°F for 3-4 days to kill larvae.