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Old 05-08-2007, 08:58 AM posted to rec.gardens.edible
Jan Flora Jan Flora is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Jul 2006
Posts: 234
Default Q: Bush bean disease?

In article ,
Jan Flora wrote:

Hey Folks:

I've never grown bush beans before. My Blue Lake bean
seedlings are developing a lighter green area on the
leaf tips (about 1/4 to 1/2 of the area of the leaf,
starting at the tip) and curling *upwards.*

Some of the seedlings came in stunted and the leaves
blistered, so I pulled them and will burn them.

Only a few of the larger plants are affected by the
light tissue & curling.

No bugs are in residence. Topsoil from under the alders
in my yard & 30 year old composted cow poop is in the bins.
I put codfish bonemeal and some prilled lime in the bins
before planting. I fertilize with a fish emulsion made of
razor clam gurry. (It's a local product. It stinks, so it's
probably good stuff. The tomato plants sure like it!)

The bins are lined with felted Typar. (Driveway cloth.)

I don't know if I have a disease or a management problem
going here, but I suspect disease. The seed came from
Lilly Miller (Ferry-Morse) at the feed store.

Everything else in the little pocket greenhouse is thriving
like crazy.

I don't have a digital camera to take photos...

Any suggestions?

TIA,

Jan in Alaska


Nevermind. We have bugs. Little black flies on the beans
(the gal at the feed store says they are fungus gnats -- ?)
and a few very fat aphid on the cukes. Aphid occur naturally
here, outdoors. Not too worried about them, but I did squirt
them with soapy water today.

I'm going to set a small fan up in the gh to keep the air
moving, to see if that'll discourage the little flies.
Will probably pull the beans in a few days and plant
something else, if they keep going downhill fast.

Apparently the little flies came in with the soil I used
in the bins.

I'm putting some yellow sticky traps out there tonight.
They may not do a lot of good, but they'll make me feel like
I'm doing *something.*

I think the beans have developed pretty classic symptoms
of bean mosaic virus. But that's just a guess, from looking
around the 'net a little bit.

Jan