Topic: Broad Beans arn't very happy

[Magnolia]

Hi, I'm new to all this.  I planted broad beans mid october.  They grew to about 18inches under a mini plastic greenhouse.   And seemed to be doing quite well until a particularly bad frost last night.

They're now limp and have fallen over.  What happened?

I have some more planted later in November that are under a mini polytunnel but are getting too big for this - any ideas on how I can prevent them from suffering the same fate as the previous beans.

I have some more that were sown even later under fleece and they've only just started to poke through the soil.  I'm hoping these wil be ok too.
Advice appreciated.
Jane

[star]

The last two mornings I have seen my broad beans collapsed and wilted too. But they are pretty hardy, as soon as the sun came out they perked up.

I have no protection on mine at all. I think its probably better not to protect them, but because you have started you may need to continue. Maybe once the tallest ones have thawed out you could stake them up?

[djbrenton]

You should be aware that not all varieties are suitable for over-wintering. Those that are don't need protection. Those that aren't will suffer.

[adrianhumph]

 Hi magnolia,  :D
                         Your broad beans have been cosseted tooooo much by you ::) Assuming you have sown aquadulce claudia or another suitable overwintering broad bean,
they do not need any protection & will look after themselves through the winter. The late planted ones should be fine & will only grow to 4or 6 inches & then take off quickly in the spring when things warm up. The early ones are far too advanced at 18inches tall, they may survive but strong winds may play havoc with them so, as staking may not be possible (if you have got a lot) bang in a 3 foot high stake at each corner of the row & tie around this some string to support the beans. So whip those covers off now :o
                                              Adrian.

[redimp]

Rather than whipping them off now, I would wait until next week when the frost weather is due to abate.  It migh be a bit to much of a shock to your cossetted broadies to expose them now.

[djbrenton]

< thinks 'cossetted broadies' sounds vaguely mucky without knowing why>

[tuinman]

Over wintering broad beans "what a waste of time", plenty of better things you could do. I plant in spring and get a great crop every year.  ??? ;)

[Magnolia]

Thanks everyone.  Yes they are overwintering beans!! 

I only have 7 plants that have wilted so no great shame.  Just a bit sad when you've been nuturing them and then they keel over.  I don't have an allotment yet only my garden plot.  Waiting list is 18mnths. 

My onions and garlic are doing well mind. 

[redimp]

My overwintering ones were brilliant this year.  My spring sown were a near complete wash out.  I still do both.

[Eristic]

"what a waste of time"

How can it be a waste of time? Same amount of work, earlier beans.

My late October sown broad beans should crop early - mid May to be followed by early Jan sowings to crop in June followed by late Feb sowing to crop in July.

The beans do all the work. I just plant them.

[cambourne7]

my self sown broad beans ( no idea what variaty ) are looking ok, a few have bits that are a little wilted but they seam to be happy enough. I took a photo and will try and get it off my phone tonight.

[valmarg]

We usually sow our broad beans in Spring (well early in the New Year).  We usually grow Imperial and/or Masterpiece Green Longpod.  These varieties produce long pods with lots of lovely small green beans

Could I just ask a question?  What varieties of broad beans most people grow?

I look at the pods for sale in supermarkets/greengrocers, and I wouldn't give a thankyou for them.  The beans are really tough, and need 'skinning', whereas the varieties we grow, if picked when the beans are no bigger than thumbnail size, are sweet wonderfully flavoured and tender, and don't need skinning.

valmarg

[Lauren S]

I think the ones I use to be force fed to eat when young were greyish in colour and tough. That's what has put me off them all my life. My lottie neighbour John is growing some for me and we are going to taste them (cooked) at the lottie next year. He is convinced I will like them  :-X

[Lauren S]

Oh I forgot to say....

Magnolia welcome to A4A and good luck with your broadies  :)

[Rob the rake]

I managed to get some Red Windsor seed for growing in the spring. Has anyone grown these before? I can't see them in any of the current catalogues. I got them at the local boot sale as end of date stock, part of a haul of 100 packets of seeds for 4 quid. Result! ;D

[bupster]

I've never heard of them, and I'm a sucker for strange varieties. You must let us know how they go!

[Robert_Brenchley]

I've only grown Aquadulce Claudia until this year. I planted 40 seeds of crimson-Flowered, deliberately putting them in late so as to avoid cross-pollination. They flowered during the worst of the weather, and the crop consisted of 20 beans, which I'll be planting in the spring.

[cleo]

I don`t think sowing hardy beans like Claudia Aquadulce is a waste of time.They might not have the flavour of some other less hardy spring sown varieties but they crop early and are better than nothing.

[real food]

Possibly the biggest problem in sowing broad beans in the Autumn, is to stop the mice eating them before they get going. My neighbour sowed broad beans and has a nice row of little holes in the ground where the mice have dug out the beans!
Does anyone have success with soaking the beans in parafin before planting them, to stop the mice eating them?

[telboy]

Yes, paraffin is an answer. I believe that late Autumn planting is not beneficial in many parts.
Spring plants catch up to a degree.