Planning this year's gardens and last year's green bean crop was a disaster

[lizziegrace]

Last year I put in two 8' x 4' raised beds of green beans. (Italian, bush and vining) I got maybe a pound from the entire garden. The leaves had small holes in them and the flowers never produced fruit.

I live in a rural area on 4 acres surrounded by farm fields. Last year, the farmer who owns the land put in corn, so this year it will be soybeans.

Any idea what got the green beans? I don't use pesticides. I plant in raised beds with peat moss, manure, topsoil and compost.

If I need to be buying some organic pesticides or building netting or fencing, I need to start now.

Thanks!

[Kolesar]

1. Ugly yellow bugs got our beans

The best treatment for hard shelled bugs is non-toxic diotomaceous earth. Other than that, wash them off with a hose or pick them off to keep the bug population down.

There is a large-scale strategy of predatory insects like praying mantises and ladybugs, too.

[lizziegrace]

2. I seem to remember you saying bugs got yours last year too

thanks for the advice. I LOVE green beans and can and freeze them. I had none to can this year.

[Denninmi]

3. The holes and the non-production issues could be 2 separate problems.

Usually, if the flowers don't set pods, it's because of problems related either to heat (flowers just fall off) or drought (pods start to develop then abort). Are you in one of the places in the country that had an extremely hot summer last year, like the Southeast or Texas?

The holes in the leaves could be bean beetles, flea beetles, or a lot of other things.

For the insect issues, I'd just cover the whole bed with floating row cover, something like a lightweight Agribond. Beans are self-pollinating by wind action, so they don't need to be open for bees.

If the heat was the problem, or drought, all I can suggest is keeping them well-watered, hope for a better year, and possibly rig up some kind of light shade covering if it does get excessively hot.

[lizziegrace]

4. I'm in central OH

I had a bumper crop of tomatoes, squash and corn (until two successive storms took the corn out)

The previous year, green beans did great. I'm thinking it's an infestation issue of some kind. Thanks for the suggestion for a row covers. :)

[Kolesar]

5. NE Ohio had an awful, hot July

We had some plants that just did not work out. Our potatoes were a bit stressed, and the yields were limited.

[lizziegrace]

6. I think we were a little better off than you were

Should be interesting to see what this year brings. I'm researching making rain barrels to fit the antique downspouts on this very, very old house. Might help during the driest times and keep me from taxing the well too much.

Also, since this year is soybeans rather than corn, I should see a lot more water runoff from the fields. Corn doesn't give up much water!

[LiberalEsto]

7. 1. flea beetles?

2. Hot weather?

My beans did poorly too. We had an unusually hot summer in Maryland. Beans and peppers seem to do better during cool, wetter summers.