Topic: Broad Beans have had it.....

[TonyM]

Hi
Recently posted with a potato problem, now the broad beans are not looking so good.

Grown from seed and cam on really well, plenty of flowers and a touch of rust etc. Now they are going black and just wilting, almost rotting away.

Is this the wet spell taking it's toll or the plot in general?

The leeks, beetroots and carrots are still going strong.

Any advice, similar tales of woe welcomed.

TonyM

[Svea]

are you in the UK/northern hemispehere?
i would have thought broad beans are grown in the spring, not the winter (when sown in late autumn, they will overwinter as small plantlets and then flower a little earlier in the spring). they shouldnt be flowering this time of year, or....???

[TonyM]

UK, Hampshire, planted as per the packet, guessed they were ok over the winter. Not been cold but is wet. Same fate as the Christmas potatoes so could the wet soil.

[timmyc]

What variety of bean were they? In the UK we use aquadulce to overwinter - other varieties are not hardy enough to cope with the winter (or even autumn) I suggest growing those in future - mine are doing fine even though they've been frosted well and good - they're only 4-6 inches tall and I don't expect much more growth from them until the spring - but as soon as it's warm enough they'll be off and runnig before anything else! (I hope!!)
Now it's got a little warmer again and the ground has thawed for a week or two I'd give them another go if I were you!

Tim

[growmore]

In any normal year the broad beans would have been ok set in autumn. Just growing a few inches high and standing till spring to start growing to maturity...
This year with such a mild late autumn/early winter that we have had they romped away and even flowered. They are then too mature to stand frost ...Its caught  alot of us out ..My spring hero cabbage have hearted up and although small are ready for cutting these were my cabbage for next spring and they wernt set any earlier than normal..
It has been a really funny season this year not typical at all ........Cheers Jim