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Green Bean

Soil pH - 6.0 - Sow the seeds 1 inch deep, about 6 inches apart, in rows 18 inches apart. Beans do not do well in a wide row planting. They must have room on either side for maximum production. Plant after all danger of frost has past. Do not plant too soon! If the soil has not warmed sufficiently, the seeds will rot in the ground before they germinate. For an earlier crop, place black plastic over the row one week before planting. Slit the plastic with an X mark every 6 inches and plant 2 seeds in each opening. Make sure the soil underneath the plastic is thoroughly tilled. Use Rotenone or pyrethrum to control Mexican bean beetles. Avoid overhead watering and do not handle plants when they are wet.

Pole Beans - Till an area 4 feet by 4 feet. Incorporate compost into the soil and cover the bed with black plastic. Make a teepee out of 3 to 4 poles and stick into the bed. Cut a circle of plastic out around each pole. Plant 6 to 8 seeds around each pole, thinning to 3 plants per pole. Use a soaker hose to water the bed.

Pests

Insect Pests

Bean Leaf Beetle:
The bean leaf beetle is reddish to yellowish brown and about ¼ inch long. They may or may not have black spots on their wing cover. The wings are usually rimmed in black and the distinguishing characteristic is a black triangle just behind the head. They overwinter as adults in wooded areas, litter, weeds and pastures. In the spring as the temperature rises these beetles become active and move into bean fields. The beetles feed on the foliage, chewing small round holes into the leaves. Adult feeding reduces plant vigor, plant size and yield. Later in the season, the second generation beetles will feed directly on the bean pod. Damage to the pods can be severe if European corn borer or corn earworm programs are stopped earlier than 12 days before harvest during the second generation emergence.

Potato Leafhopper:
The potato leafhopper overwinters in the south and is blown north each spring. The adult is spindle-shaped, about 1/8 inch long and yellowish green in color with six light spots immediately behind the head. Potato leafhoppers will usually jump instead of fly when disturbed. The nymphs are smaller versions of the adults except they do not have wings so they cannot fly. Both the adults and nymphs can cause damage to the bean plant. They extract sap from the undersides of leaves causing them to crinkle and curl downward. Extensive feeding can cause a characteristic triangular yellowing or bronzing of the leaf tip known as "hopperburn." These plants are usually stunted, have small root systems and have reduced yields and quality.

European Corn Borer:
The European corn borer overwinters as a mature larvae in the stem of the plant on which if fed in the fall, usually field corn. The larvae ¾ to 1 inch long and grayish pink in color with a dark head and rows of small brown spots on their backs. The larvae pupate in late spring and the adults emerge to begin mating and laying eggs. The eggs are laid in groups of 5 to 50 resembling overlapping fish scales. They will hatch in approximately 5 days. The young larvae do the most damage to green bean. They feed on leaves, buds, or flowers for 4-6 days before boring into stem or the beans when the temperature reaches 70˚F. If the temperature is higher the larvae will enter the stems and beans more quickly. There are usually 2-3 generations of European corn borers in Ohio.

Corn Earworm:
The corn earworm generally overwinters in areas from the southern part of the state and southward. Normal prevailing winds will move the adults northward. The first generation of corn earworms appears early in the growing season so they provide little damage to green beans. The second generation that begins with moth flights in late July, is usually larger and more serious doing most of its damage in late August through September. The larvae vary in color from light green to tan, brown, pink maroon or nearly black and have light and dark stripes running the length of the body. Their body is covered by short dense microspines. The small larvae will feed bore into a pod to eat the seed. The larvae then back out and look for other feeding sites.

Occassional Insect Pests

Wireworms and Seedcorn Maggots:
Beans that are planted following sod, alfalfa or set-aside could be at risk for damage from wireworms and seedcorn maggots. Wireworms are cylindrical, hard-bodied larvae of the click beetle. They are brownish-yellow, shiny and ½ to 1½ inches long. Seedcorn maggots are white to yellow-white beetle larvae. They have no legs and have a pointed head. Both insects feed on the bean seed causing poor germination and tall spindly seedlings. Planting under cool, moist soil conditions favor the development of both of these pests.

Packet 2g 1000 seeds $2.95