This year my Fortex beans were only really good for the first few pickings. After that they got bumpy even when small, and recently they've been soft and hollow, rather than crisp and firm. I wonder whether it's just the heat or perhaps I need to find a different variety. They've been my favorites for years, though.
Bumpy and/or Hollow Pole Beans
Sounds like bean yellow virus, mottle virus or mosaic virus, sometimes the only symptoms are distorted leaves and pods plus empty pods. Symptoms vary depending upon which stage of growth the plant was infected, especially with bean mosaic virus.
Interesting - that's never happened before? How do you protect against it, do you know?
The only solution I know of is to plant resistant varieties. Aphids can spread a virus, but sometimes it is from the seeds.
And what are some resistant varieties? I wonder whether giving the garden a break from Fortex for a year or two would enable me to go back to it.