Topic: Eaten broad beans

[Mrs Ava]

Was going to post last night, but forgot, blame the zillion postings you crowd had made whilst we were away sunning ourselves in France, to ask what you think might have made a huge meal out of my spring sown broad beans.  Went away with the smug satisfaction that there was going to be a huge picking ready for when we got home, and all the big ones were gone!  The pods were still there, wripped open.  Wondered if it might have been the hare, or the muntjac, but I think I solved the mystery today and caught the criminal in the act - a smelly rodent with a fury tail, a bloody grey squirrel!  There are some smaller ones further up the plants, so guess who will be wrapping them up with fleece to protect them!  Bloody nature!

[The gardener]

Its birds, do they look as if they were opened like a zip fastener?, i.e. serrated edges.

Netting is the only answer I know, in my case it was Jays and pigeons that were the cause.

They are up at the crack of dawn, to get the early succulent beans.

[Mrs Ava]

Not so much serated, almost peeled apart, with lots only having one half of the outer case remaining, the other half gone!  Bloody critters!!  Well, whatever it was that did the damage, I shall be netting them in tomorrow and hoping that I get a second flush, otherwise that is the end of the broadies til next year!  :'(

[Beer_Belly]

I've a resident rabbit that has been munching the lower ones of mine.

 :(

-B_B-

[Mrs Ava]

OKay, so I have some baby broadies at the tops of the plant.  My question is, if I cut the plants which have nothing on other than leaves down by half or more, will they regrow from the base and start to flower?  There doesn't appear to be any flowers coming at the tops of the plants  :'(.  Note to self, plant lots and lots more broadies this winter!

[derbex]

I asked the same question recently and it seems that they should regrow and might reflower, so I have cut them right down to soil level , -but a bit early to tell yet. I also did it with my field beans in the spring, (I couldn't tell them from broad beans by looking) and they did regrow and flower.

Jeremy

[derbex]

Just as a follow up, I looked at them last night and they're regrowing -BUT lots of black spots (chocolate spot?) so they're going to have to come out. I seem to remember my veg. book saying this is a problem with later broad beans.

Jeremy