Malformed Pole Beans

Question

I’ve planted pole beans this year. They seemed to be growing fine but not as vigorously as I’d expected. They bloomed and I harvested a few beans. Afterwards I found no new beans. Succession plantings were deformed, instead of vine, leaves, and flowers, most of the new growth (at the joint between the leaf’s stalk and main stalk) of both the original planting and the succession seems to be “miniaturized”. Some of the flowers bloom but don’t produce beans. I think I’m dealing with more than one problem. There’s some leaf damage that looks like Japanese beetle damage but I haven’t seen any beetles. (There are beetles as I have seen pheromone traps about a tenth of a mile away) Does anyone recognize these symptoms? Thanks Mike

Answer 1

This is a fungal issue. I would recommend treating the area with a fungicide, or solarizing the area before the next planting. Here are some articles that will help:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/info/using-fungicides-in-garden.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/projects/how-to-solarize-garden-beds-to-eliminate-garden-pests-in-the-soil.htm