kentucky wonder pole beans are a japanese beetle trap crop (of)

18 years ago

i am growing 4 different varieties of pole beans this season. 3 varieties are unnamed open pollinated and the 4th variety is kentucky wonder. of the 3 op varieties, 1 i have grown for many years and the other 2 are new this year. i was really expecting great things from kentucky wonder and i had hoped that it would be the best of the 4.

i have not picked any ky wonder beans and the plants are growing double the rate of the other 3 varieties. that said, i will never grow ky wonder again because it is a japanese beetle trap crop! the jb are just on the ky wonders and ignoring the other 3 varieties that are all planted in the same area!

to me this shows this hybrid has a serious flaw since it is so attractive to the jb. i suppose this is of no concern to someone who'll use chemical pesticides but i don't and the damage is rather amazing. it's too bad that in the course of creating hybrids with enhanced traits that unexpected problems are also created. they should include a bottle of sevin with each package of kentucky wonder pole beans seeds sold!

is it just in my garden or do others have this jb problem with ky wonder?

tom

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Comments (6)

adirondackgardener
18 years ago
The idea of a "trap crop" is to lure the baddies away from your intended plants so you can deal with them. If you can accept that Kentucky Wonder isn't going to work for you, then it sounds like you've hit on the ideal solution to raise 3 other worry-free varieties.

Instead of saying you'll never grow them again, I would be making a note to be sure to order a small packet of those seeds next year to protect my other varieties.

Wayne
adirondackgardener
18 years ago
Also, Kentucky Wonder has been an open-pollinated variety for about a century and a half. Are you growing a hybrid version of this heirloom?

Wayne
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I have always (30 yrs) grown Kentucky Wonders. My father grew them when I was a child. I also grow a bean called Burpee Early Riser which became Kwintus which became Northeaster, as well as a couple of others like annelino (spelling?) Last year I finally tasted each bean raw and decided I really like the Kentucky wonder best. I've never tried the Kentucky Blue, just saw it this year at Pinetree, and might try some. I also noticed last year that the Kentucky Wonders were favored by the Jap. beetles. They ate those leaves before going to the other beans. I now want to know if the Kent. Blues are also preferred or if (hopefully) the beetles might not like them as well.
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alfie_md6
18 years ago
As Wayne says, Kentucky Wonder is an OP heirloom.

I grow them every year, and I haven't noticed JBs having any particular fondness for them -- EXCEPT that they do get very tall. Maybe the JBs like your Kentucky Wonders because they're taller than the other beans? JBs like to be up high, in my experience.
Kimmsr
18 years ago
What is the soil difference form where the Kentucky Wonders are growing and the rest. That they are "the plants are growing double the rate of the other 3 varieties" indicates they may have more Nitrogen available and that fast lush growth indicates a plant that is stressed and an attractive target for the JB's.
K
18 years ago
I have 5 types of beans also,including KY Wonder. Three varieties, I planted in peat pots before putting in the garden, so there are several of each. The other 2 I direct planted, but the chipmunks kept taking the seeds. Therefore I only have 1 Kentucky Wonder, so this may not be a good comparison. None of the 5 types are gettting Japanese beetles (yet). Three are bush beans and the other 2 were started late, so they haven't gotten very tall yet. I think Alfie may have the right idea about the height making the difference. The JB's are all over here on my roses and on mine and my neighbors' rose of sharons (which hang over the fence on three sides of the yard). They also got some of my blackberry vines, but seem to favor the other two plants.
k.
TJG911
Original Author
18 years ago
sorry i thought the kw were a hybrid, obviously i am wrong.

as to the trap crop, i do NOT need a trap crop! the kw brought the jb TO the garden! well it seems that way because i seldom have jb problems in the garden.

the 4 beans are all in the same area, it is not the soil. my garden is well established with rich soil. an explaination will help explain the differences in size.

the old favorite variety (ofv) i grew for years was planted at the same time next to the kw. the ofv seeds are old (from 2000 or 2001) so germination was way behind the kw seeds which were new seed from johnny's this year. that ofv was just emerging from the soil when the kw had been up for 10-12 days and then the ofv grew slower than the kw. as to the 2 new polish varieties, they were planted 3 1/2 weeks later than those other 2. they came up ok, not slow like the ofv but quick like kw, but they are smaller due to a late start. this is why the kw are so much taller on the trellis, the other 3 are catching up, it is not the soil.

and yes alfie, perhaps you are correct. maybe the jb are going to the kw because it is the highest of the 4 pole beans but maybe kw tastes better to them?

at any rate, i noticed yesterday the damage is not progressing as fast as it had been. i will still compare how the kw produce and taste. i have lot of kw seeds left and if kw does ok despite this i'll grow it again.

thanks for your help,

tom

kentucky wonder pole beans are a japanese beetle trap crop (of)

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adirondackgardener

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kentucky wonder pole beans are a japanese beetle trap crop (of)

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adirondackgardener

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