Runner Beans Withering And Dying.

Question

I have grown runner beans for 45 years, but the last three years they all slowly died. I even replaced all the soil and cleaned and disinfected the water butts. I don’t think I’ll bother next year if I can’t get to the bottom of it.

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Answer 1

Unfortunately, that is likely bean mosaic virus. This is not treatable, and would explain why your attempts to sterilize the soil have failed. The only thing that you can do is to leave that area bare for 3 years or so. Then, before planting, you can solarize the soil for a season.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/beans/treating-mosaic-in-beans.htm

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