Hi All,
I’ve got mealybugs and a rainbow of aphids, and it is definitely seasonal. I live in Nepal, and I have just a few scarlet runner bean seeds from outside of Asia. I thought they would be really nice to grow here, and the plants themselves grow rigorously and the seeds germinate well (which does not always happen when using foreign seeds). However, I planted the seeds in May, and I 've just been plagued with sucking insects. Despite daily management of squishing and spraying with soap/bakingsoda/oil mixture, I’ve been unable to encourage enough rigorous growth to out-do the insects. It’s sad but–this was just a patio experiment and no one is relying on this bean to produce, so I’m just going to pull them out so as not to encourage the mealybugs spreading.
I’ve decided that this must not be the season for Scarlet Runner Beans in Northern South Asia / Hindu Kush. Does anyone know which season IS a good season? In the future, I would like this bean to do well…
Thanks for any advice! --Leslie