Green beans-what is going on?

I have never grown bush beans before, and this is my first SFG.

In the past, in a row garden, we just plowed the beans under at the end of the season.

Well, the bush beans have quit producing, so I pulled 2 plants and looked at the roots. What is this? Is there something wrong? Should I pull the rest?





Close-up of the roots



What is growing on the roots?

Thanks, Jo

The nodules have something to do with the way beans fix nitrogen in the soil. It's not a bad thing. Actually it's good. It shows your beans did their job!

Yeah, that doesn't look normal to me. The nitrogen fixing nodules will usually be on normal root growth and easily fall off. Looking into this somewhat, this almost looks like root knot nematode damage. Now I could be totally wrong about this. Did you grow these plants in fresh Mel's mix or soil? I suggest contacting your county Cooperative Extension Service agent for a diagnosis. Let us know what you find out.

I planted in Mel's mix. The beans were a 2nd planting, following garden/snap peas, which had the whole bed. I have 1/2 bed in bush beans, other 1/2 is sw. potatoes.

I did not use an inocculant on the bean seeds.



These 'nodules' are the roots, not just growing on the roots.

Does anyone know if this will hurt the sw. potatoes?



I'll contact the county agent and see what he says.



thanks, Jo

Sorry littlejo, I obviously didn't look closely enough. Camprn is right, it does look like root knot nematodes. Don't know if it will affect your SP's. Hopefully someone else can help with that question.

I thought I'd post to you'all that a 'Master Gardener' from Clemson will see my green beans tom.

He'll try to determine how I got them, and if they are in only this 1 bed, or if they are in the ground under the bed.



If they are nematodes, I either got them from the ground under the bed, or from the compost, which at least 1 part was not finished.



I may have to go to tabletops to get away from the ground.

Jo

Good follow-up Jo! Keep us posted.

Well, I saw the clemson Ext. certified gardener and several Master Gardener's to be.



I do have root knot nematodes. They are in the ground under the beds. They came up thru the Mel's mix and attacked my beans(that's the only veggie so far)



There is no way to 'kill' them, some more would just take their place. No sense making raised beds, unless I could afford to start over with new soil.

They did make some suggestions:

1. Soil solarization- heat the soil, will kill most.

2. Get shrimp meal or crab shells and put in beds and around beds. These attract a 'certain organism' that eats it, and also likes to eat nematodes.

3. Use a particular fertilizer that has stuff in it that the nematodes don't like.

Garden-tone organic fertilizer for 'naturally Delicious Vegetables'

4.Plant nematode resistant varietys(gave me a list) and do crop rotation- no bean family in this bed for 3 yrs.!



My Sw. potatoes should be fine. They are semi-resistant to nematodes.

She suggested planting strawberries and/or asparagus in this bed.

I guess this is going to make me do a garden plan. This yr. I just had an empty square, and planted just what I had in my hand, no thought to what family it was!





If any of you'all have any suggestions, please let me know. I think i'm just about in over my head here.

Jo



(There are chemicals available to kill these, but only to professional farmers,not home gardeners, and they are not organic)

Can you please list the resistant varieties?

One thing I forgot to list: Plant French marigolds for 2 months, then turn the plants under. Then plant you garden.



Also, she said that I got good advice here! The diagnosis was right-on. Thanks!



These are the resistant varieties that she listed, but there may be more in other states?





There is no Green bean varieties that are nematode resistant in SC.

root-knot nematode-resistant plants:



Southern peas:
Mississippi Purple
Mississippi silver
Colossus
Hercules
Charleston Nemagreen
Clemson Purple



Lima beans:
Nemagreen



Hot Pepper:
Charleston Hot
Carolina Cayenne



Bell Pepper:
Charleston Bell
Carolina Wonder



Sweet Potato:
Jewel



Tomato:
Better Boy
Celebrity
Park's Whooper
Goliath



Paste tomato:
Classica
Viva Italia



Cherry Tomato:
Small Fry
Sweet Million