Knowledgebase
Dying Blue Lake Bush Beans/Crabapple trees queue #0144796 #877951
Asked July 19, 2024, 4:00 PM EDT
I have a raised vegetable garden where I planted Pinetree's Blue Lake Bush Green Beans. We have used these seeds for years here and in eastern NE with no problem, except for last year and this year. The last 2 years are the only years that I've planted in raised beds. As you can see, we have had terrible results, as the beans are dying. They were good through early June, then started dying after that. At the end of last year, I mulched the plants into the ground. Was this a mistake? This year, they've had plenty of water. Is it possible that they get too much water? That or maybe some disease has been killing them off? Please advise.
I have removed what I can of my crabapple tree fire blight limbs from question #0144796. I notice spots on more of the leaves. Is there anything to spray on the trees to stop this from spreading, or just do what I can and look for fall to come fast to stop this? Advise further, please.
Attached are photos of the beans.
Arapahoe County Colorado
Expert Response
Sorry about the beans. They look pretty rough and they may not produce much at this point, but you can always wait and see what the beans look like. That may offer some clues as to what’s going on. See the link in next paragraph for further information.
I noticed that you have mulched them with grass clippings so I’m wondering if the grass has been treated with any herbicide or insecticide. If the answer is “yes,” then that may be your problem. If the answer is “no” then it looks like your beans could be suffering from bacterial blight. If this is the case, you would want to remove all infected plants and discard them after the growing season. Unless you want to completely remove the soil and start all over next season, it would be a good idea to plant other crops in the beds for at least 3-4 years before planting beans in that spot again. Since many plants have specific diseases, planting something else in that bed should be fairly safe. Be sure any future bean seeds you purchase are certified to be disease free. This information should be included on the packet. Also, if you suspect any future plants are diseased, it would be a good practice to remove all plant material and dispose of it rather than turning it into the soil.
Regarding fire blight on your crabapple trees, there is no actual cure for this disease. There are various methods of control that can be employed as outlined in the detailed fact sheet below. Keeping your trees healthy by giving them adequate water and pruning out all infected branches will help the problem. This fact sheet also has information on chemical treatment options for control with links at the bottom of the page to further information on resistant crabapple varieties and the proper way to prune fruit trees.
https://extension.colostate.edu/docs/pubs/garden/02907.pdf?_gl=1*17z2uyh*_ga*OTI1NjIwOTkzLjE2NzQxNjExOTQ.*_ga_ZZ27K7HW51*MTcyMTYwOTY4MS4yMTMuMS4xNzIxNjA5ODIyLjAuMC4w
