"Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens" can overwinter in plant debris, diseased plants, wild hosts, seeds, or vegetative propagative organs. The bacteria can survive only a couple of weeks as free bacteria in soil. Multiple factors go into survival of a bacterial population, including temperature, humidity, and soil characteristics. Infected seeds cannot be used for susceptible bean crops because "Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens pv. flaccumfaciens" has been known to survive in dried bean pods from five years and up to 24 years in laboratory conditions. Different pathovars survive in slightly different ways. For example, "Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens pv. oortii" survive in the vegetative propagative organs (bulbs) rather than in the seeds, like "Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens pv. flaccumfaciens".