July 14, 2008 – I picked two big potfuls of green beans. We boiled up a bunch and they were delicious! There were plenty of small beans in progress and flowers signifying new ones. Bugs have eaten holes in many of the leaves. I may put sevin dust on them but prefer not to. Last year we had four pickings of beans, each one generating less.
Our variation on the classic green bean casserole is the next recipe for beans.
Doug
Start out with disease-free plants.
Good soil drainage is imperative. This controls Leather Rot and Red Stele. Raised beds work well. The site needs good air circulation and plenty of sunshine. Strawberries need quick drying foliage and fruit after a rain to control many diseases.
Fertilize in early spring, before flowering, and after harvest, in July, with 10-10-10 fertilizer.
Replant strawberry beds every 3 years because in most cases some type of disease will set in. Also, low fruit production occurs.
Rabbits, field mice, squirrels, and birds. There is no honor among thieves.
Early spring is the best.
Research and grower experience has shown that a good layer of straw mulch is very beneficial for controlling fruit rots, especially leather rot. Bare soil between the rows should be avoided and a good layer of straw mulch is highly recommended. The mulch keeps berries from contacting the soil where the leather rot fungus overwinters. In addition, it also aids in preventing infested soil from splashing onto the berries. Recent research has shown that plastic mulch (a layer of plastic) under the plants and/or between the rows increases splash dispersal of the pathogens that cause anthracnose and leather rot. Especially where fruit rots have been a problem, the use of plastic mulch is not recommended.