Topic: broad beans coming up

[adrianhumph]

 Hi all,
             Good news ;D the broad beans have stuck their heads above the parapets ;D
 Bad news, the weather is set to be very cold this weekend :-[ should I throw some fleece over them as they have only just popped up ???

                                                                           Adrian.

[Kea]

They should be expecting the cold at this time of the year. How long have they taken to come up? I don't cover mine, though they are not up yet as i only planted them last week.

[adrianhumph]

Hi Kea,
           they have taken 4 weeks to come up, we had a cold spell just after I planted them,
                      Adrian.

[flossy]

  They are supposed to endure the winter weather ah, if you planted the winter variety

  --  someone here will come up with the type name soon [ senior moment ].

  Mine are about 2" high now  - afraid I have a ' they will or they wont ' attitude towards some
  crops ,  only after I have done all I can for them.

  Usually,  they 'will'  -   suppose it's  ' tough love '

  floss x

[windygale]

it won't do no harm, better safe than sorry, if you have some fleece or a small poly tunnel, and it depends where you live, i live in wiltshire, it don't get that cold really, i just stick a small coldframe over my plants (i dont grow that many,10 plants only)

i pinch the tips out after four/six true leaves, stopping them from growing any further during the winter, i do this on my early-winter peas, it makes a bushier -  stronger plant,
i hope this helps
windy ;)

[hopalong]

Aquadulce broad beans survive the winter and grow more strongly, more resistant to pests and diseases, if you sow them in October/November, I'm told. I've never tried sowing them in the spring, so cannot compare.

[flowerlady]

... i pinch the tips out after four/six true leaves, stopping them from growing any further during the winter ... windy ;)

Think I may be doing this too Windy as I discovered some saved seed for next year's sowing had got wet and were sprouting!!  :-X  Already 2" tall in pots in the coldframe! :-\

[asbean]

... i pinch the tips out after four/six true leaves, stopping them from growing any further during the winter ... windy ;)

Think I may be doing this too Windy as I discovered some saved seed for next year's sowing had got wet and were sprouting!!  :-X  Already 2" tall in pots in the coldframe! :-\

Excellent idea, I sowed some Aquadulce to over winter and we had some dreadful winds and they got blown all over the place and broken etc. So stopping their growth like that for the duration makes sense.  :) :) :)

[cornykev]

Not doing them this year but in the past I've just left them to their own means, they are hardy and look  after theirselves, the only thing I did was sprinkle some slug pellets down because they love the early growth, well mine did anyway. God I can't believe I'm calling the slugs mine.  :o     ;D ;D ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

Aquadulce do fine if planted in early spring, but they're that little bit earlier if planted now.

[telboy]

I always plant Aquadulce , & used to plant late autumn but wonder why now. As peeps say, late storms do more damage than ever the frosts used to (what frosts)?

[mark45]

Hi all,
             Good news ;D the broad beans have stuck their heads above the parapets ;D
 Bad news, the weather is set to be very cold this weekend :-[ should I throw some fleece over them as they have only just popped up ???

                                                                           Adrian.

lol i asked the same to my fellow plot mates, and they said no they be fine they winter beans lol

[Bean_Queen]

Aquedulce are probably the best for over-wintering. 
Don't sow them too early & don't cosset them too much (you want short fat strong growth, not lanky floppy stems)
I cloched them once - they grew too tall & soft, and when I took the cloches off in March, the wind just snapped them all.


Anyone tried Super Aquedulce?  It's even betterer.  I mean more betterer.

[hopalong]

Anyone tried Super Aquedulce?  It's even betterer.  I mean more betterer.

Bean Queen, I've sown 3 double rows of Super Aquadulce in the past few days. I'm now more gladder that I did. Never grown them before.

[shirlton]

We usually put stakes and string up between them to stop the wind from blowing them over. We never protect them with fleece or owt. Aquadulce is the variety we grow

[saddad]

Must check, put the "Sutton" in a few weeks ago  :-\

[hopalong]

What's the ideal spacing for broad beans? I read somewhere that double rows should be spaced 1 metre apart.  That sounded over-generous, but I'm now worried that I may have sown mine too close together.

[KathrynH]

I've been planting Aquadulce out at this time of year for a number of years now and find that they do best left to their own devices. They will look a bit sorry for themelves after a frost or very cold spell but come srping and you'll be amzed at how quickly they pick up.

I do 2 rows spaces about a foot or so apart and they do fine. Pinching out the tips in spring when they have grown to the height you want them keeps the start of the blackfly at bay.And a good feed of seaweed in spring perks them up no end too.

[shirlton]

I just leave enough room between double rows to allow me to get in and weed and eventually pick.

[hopalong]

I just leave enough room between double rows to allow me to get in and weed and eventually pick.

Thanks.  I've left a couple of feet between mine, so that should be all right.