The little un and I carefully planted two double rows of broad beans last weekend - bunyards exhibition, aquadaliance claudia, and a red type whose name I have forgotten. It looks like they are being dug up by something. Mice?
Is there anything you can do to stop them? I grew some suttons in plastic coffee cups in July, they transplanted well and did ok. I guess that might be the answer. Bit of a pain though. Any other ideas?
Hey you two, or one, or.. anyway I net mine as soon as I've put them in, with hoops of small meshed chicken wire, so far so good, and yes, before anyone says, I do block the ends too...Lottie ;D ;)
I use light mesh 2m wide on a 1m wide bed, with a lath on each side (and at the ends). When the beans are wee, I roll the surplus around the laths. When they grow, unroll the laths ... unless you have a very determined mouse, that should fix it! ::) Mice eat my spuds :'( but not my sprouts! :D
Start mine off in loo rolls!
Hope the little 'un wasn't too traumatised :o having their beans dug up. Just remembered, several books say plant twice as many in the row in Autumn to allow for beans being devoured over winter. So you're not alone caz ;D
And I have watched the Jays on my plot come down and nick the beans! grrr!!
Plant them deep and put a layer of mulch over the top. It's not infallible but it leaves the birds without visual clues to find them.
Also, if it is mice and not birds, soak the beans in paraffin for a few hours prior to planting. This disguises the smell and puts the mice off.
Works for peas as well.
Jerry
Oh! I wasn't going to bother with broad beans as I am the only family member who adores them, and I fight with the citters and slimeys every year and probably only get a couple of pickings. Now you are talking about them, I am tempted again! Anyone got a dozen seeds going begging??
You are welcome :o PM e :D
Tiz caz here, I might get DTM to change my user name.
Thanks folks, great advice as usual, much appreciated. :)
I'll get Baz to knock up a chicken wire mouse defence thingy, and try a mulch too.
If that doesn't work I'll start them all off in plastic coffee cups.
Cameron is at his granny and grandpas this weekend, we haven't broken the news to him yet. ;) Mind you he would probably be more interested in seeing the mouse than the beans!
Mine get a headstart in newspaper pots, 36 of them fit snugly in a plastic balcony box, I fold fine chickenwire over the top and set the whole thing in the greenhouse. Once they have a couple of leaf sets, they get planted out, paper pot and all.