The Green Bean Leaves Are Turning Yellow & Falling Off

Downy Mildew

• Yellowish blotches appear on the leaves and have a pale mauve or brown mold on the undersides. This generally occurs in cooler, wet seasons and can affect the bean pods. Severely infected leaves can curl and drop. Infected leaves should be removed and destroyed.

Foot & Root Rot

• Foot and Root rot begins at the base of the stem, but quite often the first sign of it will be a yellowing of the leaves, which start to shrivel. The roots and stem bases tend to turn black or brown and begin to rot. When the plant is pulled up, the root usually is found to be weak or decaying. This usually can be avoided by crop rotation, but once a plant has become infected, it should be lifted and burned to prevent infection to surrounding crops.

Fusarium Wilt

• Fusarium wilt is an interior disease of the stem, but early outward indications are yellowing or withered leaves, followed by stunted growth of the plant, which invariably leads to little or no crop. If the stem is cut open, the tell-tale signs are reddish-brown streaks running down the stem tissue. This is quite hard to spot, as no external browning occurs. Affected plants should be removed and destroyed. The best way to avoid Fusarium wilt is to buy a wilt resistant variety of bean.