Broad Beans ready for picking

[Psi (Pronounced 'Si'!)]

Hi all

My over-wintered broad beans are now ready for picking.  For the easily discouraged, these were sown extremely late (mid December), very quickly planted and I was worried they had rotted in the ground.  Low and behold they have been ok and look fab, needing little support and minimal feeding, even when the leaves were eaten they have pulled through.  A few pods touching the ground look as though they have been eaten by rat/mice/birds but this is not widespread.  So, a tale of doing it wrong, little care, little support and several attacks!  A success all in all and I plan to plant some more right away as an experiment!

Anyone else had theirs yet and got similar stories?

Psi

[Psi (Pronounced 'Si'!)]

[BarriedaleNick]

Similar here Psi - Me a few others here  are getting a good crop this year despite leaving them to thier own devices. I plant them close so they sort of self support and apart from some soapy spray for the blackfly I have done nothing.  I've been picking for a copuple of weeks for salad but had me some proper cooked ones last night. 

[1066]

I've left mine to their own devices too (apart from planting summer savory around them and a mulch of straw) and it seems to have paid off, so far no real aphid attacks, or flea beetle or pigeon or frost damage (fingers still crossed tho...)
About to start picking the 1st ones this week  8) which in comparison to last years failures is a real bonus !

[Psi (Pronounced 'Si'!)]

yes amazing result really.  I will plant mine closer to self support next time, brilliant idea (simple when someone tells you isn't it?!!!) and consider some interplanting too - not sure what though?  Chard maybe? Or radish? or turnip? Something resilient anyway.

Great to hear all the ideas and experiences.

Psi

[Hector]

Similar here Psi - Me a few others here  are getting a good crop this year despite leaving them to thier own devices. I plant them close so they sort of self support and apart from some soapy spray for the blackfly I have done nothing.  I've been picking for a copuple of weeks for salad but had me some proper cooked ones last night. 

Sounding good :) How close is close? New boyfriend-close or married-for-20 years-close?  ;D

[grannyjanny]

Which ones will you plant now? I like your definitions of close Hector ;D ;D ;D.
Janet

[Digeroo]

Mine are very close.  Certainly no room for inter planting.  Some reason the ones at the allotment all have multiple stems ones in garden are single.  Same beans.  Mostly Masterpiece Green Longpod.  Countrywide Farmers £3.29 for 500gms.  Last for years.

Also have some red flowered saved from last year.  Had packet last year from Robinsons only got 25% red so complained and got another packet.  That is a little better but not much.  However the saved beans are much more red.

Had one batch which did not seem to grow.  Had them in pots and nothing happened so I threw them outside the back door.  finally they came up and I was going to throw them out.  They were to fill in the gaps and there were not many failure, but they seems quite bonny so I planted them out and they were almost all red flowered.

[Robert_Brenchley]

What do you mean by 'only 25% red'? I've found that the colour varies a lot, but the ones I've grown were all either red or at least washed-out purply pink. Nobody's ever selected them for colour from the look of it, but it probably would't be hard.

[laurieuk]

I planted Aquadulce last October, lost a few plants with the snow and frost but will have a good picking this weekend. No pests at all so far.

[Bjerreby]

Danish Islands

Must be my location, but my aquadulce claudia sown November failed totally. The ones I sowed in January have started flowering, but they have just been overtaken in size by my late March sowing of Jubilee Hysor, which is also flowering (and more prolifically than the AC).

I shan't bother with aquadulce claudia again.

[lavenderlux]

My Aquadulce Claudia planted in November were a total failure, but I help with 'young offenders' on their plot on our site and they got almost 100% success - planted same day and same batch of seed - suspect mine may have been taken by mice.  Their first ones are now ready to pick (which we will be doing today) and the crops from their plot go to the residents of a nearby sheltered housing scheme.

[Psi (Pronounced 'Si'!)]

I did Aquadulce Claudia but no sure what to plant now...any ideas?

[saddad]

Red Epicure grows well for me from a late sowing like this...  :)

[kingston boy]

Had my first crop last weekend. Very nice.
I grew Super Aquadulce. Its a green bean with 6 or so beans and got it from Chase Organic in Surrey. All beans germinated and stayed the course even through the snow you lot had. I totally neglected them as i was sunning myself.I put some fleece over them in December. Its an organic bean too.