Topic: broad beans - couple of questions

[legless]

couple of questions from a first time broad bean grower..

1. my aquadulce claudia went in in november and are about 8 " high now (had a growth spurt recently) and they now have loads of shoots coming off the sides as well - is this right?

2. do i need to do anything to these plants at the moment, what is the next thing i need to do for them?

3. i am going to sow a load of spring sown ones soonish and i don't know which of the following methods is better, starting them off in toilet rolls indoors, or planting out the seeds into the ground and covering with a plastic bottle 'cloche' until established....

any ideas on any of the above appreciated as the books tell you how to start them and what they look like when they are ready but not a lot about how they behave in between!

[RSJK]

Hello  Legless,
  sounds as though your beans are growing well the side shoots are normal growth so do not worry about them.  You should not have to do any thing with them now just let them grow and keep your eye on them for blackfly later in the year, although it is said that blackfly does not affect autumn sown beans like it does spring sown ones.  As for the ones you want to sow now l would just start them of in a cold greenhouse and then set them out later.  Hope this helps you.

[ina]

The only problem I found with sowing broad beans out in the veggie plot is the beans being dug up, probably mice or rats. I solved that by sowing them into balcony boxes with a tent of fine chicken wire folded over them and planting them out later. Before, I put them in the unheated greenhouse but having taken the windows out this year, I put them in a poly tunnel.

[alit]

I have sewn mine directly into the ground for two years running now, but found the number of plants that grew to be patchy and a bit erratic.  I don't know if it was poor germination rate or mice.  The upside is that you get beans quite late on in the season.  I'd be inclined to try the toilet roll method or covering with a cloch if in the ground.  I havn't got that facility and am growing my second lot in tiolet rolls this year.

Best of luck.

Alit :)

[legless]

i had no problems with my last lot, planted them , covered them in netting and they all came up ok. i think i'll try and get them in the ground covered with 1/2 plastic bottles to take their chances, my greenhouse should bite the dust this weekend and my windowsills are filling rapidly!

[ina]

Hi Alit,
What do you mean with: >>The upside is that you get beans quite late on in the season.<<

I try to get mine as early as possible for two reasons. Harvest before the lice get thick and clear them out early to use the space for some other crop.