It is often said that plants will come into flower and fruit if they feel that they are threatened. The desire to reproduce paramount to ensure the survival of the species.
Well I may be seeing a practical example of this this year. Back in the late autumn I started to use root trainers for the first time. One of the crops I sowed was Broad Beans, Aquadulce. I also sowed in my more normal 3” pots using the same growing medium, treating them exactly the same and planting out into open ground on the same day.
Tonight I harvested my first pods of broad beans, enough for 2 people and very nice they were too, especially the ones eaten raw straight from the pod.
So which cropped first, the root trainers or the pot grown plants?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Out of the two sets of plants the root trainers look far better, they are taller by at least 6” and covered in pods. The plants are far sturdier and have tillered more.
However the pot grown plants have not reached the same height and do not have the same number of pods on them.
But, the pot grown ones have pods ready for picking!!!
Jerry
(Very happy with root trainers, they have performed very well with brassicas, beans, lettuce, beetroot, sweet peas, spring onions, etc. No connection with the supplier other than a satisfied customer)
