Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: caroline7758 on January 07, 2012, 16:02:40
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I want to grow lots of broad beans this year, starting them off inside and was wondering what't the best thing to sow them in? Would loo rolls be ok?
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Ours have been sown in them. Do the same every year.
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I've sown mine in cells (before Christmas) and now they have two true leaves they will be going out soon... :)
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Thanks- guess what I'm doing tomorrow!
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I sow mine in deep rolled-up newspaper pots, to give the roots space, and plant them out when they're about 6 inches tall.
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I use 500ml yoghurt pots four in each I put the bean down the side of the plastic or chit in kitchen roll and then straight outside under bottle cloches.
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Mine go in pots about the end of next month or the beginning of March, then I plant them out at about three inches.
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I've become a fan of root trainers. In my house my toilet roll collection kept disappearing into the recycling while I wasn't looking >:(
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I use loo rolls for other beans/sweet peas but have found growth poor unless peeled off before planting except in very wet seasons. (I sow broadbeans outside in November covered with fleece - even last year when temps down to -8 grew brilliantly - Aquadulce)
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I might use yog pots too as if I cut the bottom out and keep the lid I can easily slide the plants out when I transplant.
Some plants I was given last year came in clear plastic cups and it was good to see the roots.
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I have had mixed results with the toilet roll method. The plants seemed to sit for a while after planting out and never seemed quite as vigorous as their counterparts planted straight into the ground. I did harden them off.
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For a novice could someone explain the advantages/disadvantages of loo roll tubes please. I appreciate they are free but so are yogurt pots etc. Thanks.
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You can plant the whole tube..... ;D
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Ah got it! Presumably this dosn't disturb the roots as much and the paper/card eventually rots away. And its quicker. Don't worry to reply if I've got it right. Cheers Duke.
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Welcome to A4A AlanO. They take up less space than yogurt pots so less space on crowded window sills. I tend to use them for Dahlia seeds.
For me the best yoghurt pots are slightly conical so easy to get the plants out by gently squeezing all round first. I avoid straight sided ones. Unfortunately they changed the format of my husband favourite tesco yoghurt.
It does not take long for the roots to come through the loo roll tubes.
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I think the main think with planting out toilet rolls is to soak the whole thing thoroughly before putting them into the ground so that the cardboardrots more quickly and doesn't create a barrier. I usually also tear off the top half inch or make sure it's below the surface.
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have tree plantings early one are a foot tall down to two inch , thats in west sussex, mal.
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As Caroline said
Remember to bury all the loo roll or it will act as a kind of *drying wick* and this will slow down the growth of your plants. I also make sure that I water well when using toilet roll tubes ....dont let the compost dry out. This will hinder the rotting of the toilet roll tube.
Duke
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The nearest I get to indoor planting of broad beans is four or five days in the bean sprouter in February before dibbing in (carefully) to the bed. There is very little work and the crop is at most a fortnight behind someone who has done all the rootrainers/loo rolls/pots in greenhouse work.
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I just plant in situ and they come up!
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This may sound like a silly question but here goes: Last October I sowed some Aquadulce broad beans which are now about 6" tall. My question is - How tall are they going to get, as I may need to raise the netting around them?
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They're not specially tall. I would say normally between 2 and 3 feet.
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They can be over a metre ( a yard in old money) high. May be a little more if they like your soil etc. Though it is usual to pick out the growing tip (tasty lightly steamed or stir fried) to deter the black fly.
Masterpiece Green Longpod for me are normally substantially taller.
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Thanks very much both.
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mine are going in plastic cus tomorrow night, would have bean today but i'm going to try that booster enzyme this year.
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Russell what kind of bean sprouter do you have? I just sprout mine in a tray on kitchen paper remembering to keep paper damp not wet and covered with anyother piece of paper on top. Then when they have sprouted I plant them out. do the same with my peas.Does anyone else do this?
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I've never bothered with broadies, but then I usually put them in pots in February, and they have loads of time before they decide to get their heads up. I soak big runner beans, as I find it significantly improves germination. I leave them in water overnight, and that's enough to get them started.
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I sowed mine today - straight into the ground. They're tough old things, but I have netted them and used organic slug pellets. Did the same thing last year and had a good crop.
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Willsy my bean sprouter I stole off my daughter so I don't know what it is called but it comprises three shallow clear plastic perforated trays and a base. I stand it on the kitchen window sill when in use so I can easily keep an eye on it, sometimes things happen quite quickly like if the sun shines.
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Willsy I am with you with the kitchen roll. I put a few drops of aloe vera in the water to prevent mould. I put some straight into compost also on the windowsill, but germination very poor in comparision.
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I sowed my Broad Beans a couple of weeks ago in newspaper pots and have had them in my (cold) porch. They've all germinated and the majority are 4-6" tall with 4+ leaves on them.
I was planning on planting them out on the plot this weekend under bottle cloches but with the cold snap forecast for next week would I be better off waiting a while or will they be OK?
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I would wait and see what weather will throw at us this weekend. Even if they've been in cold porch, freezing weather and blanket of snow might be a bit of shock for the system.
Have you got a coldframe...or could you russle up something temporarely for them?..it don't have to be anything fancy..just a storage box and sheet of glass over would do nicely. Keep them in that for couple of weeks or so and then plant them. They will harden off bit more and being in that bit of more colder place..growth will slow down and you might not be in no hurry to put them into ground if the weather should turn properly wintery.
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My next door neighbour has an unheated greenhouse with plenty of room to spare and I'm sure he'll be more than happy to keep them in there for a few weeks for me.
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Mine were sown in November and are nice and sturdy. They've been outside day and night for quite a while but I still whipped them into the poly this evening because of the sleet.Hopefully they'll go out under enviromesh when its comfortable for me to get them sorted...and the sun is out ;D.