Took this picture this afternoon, as you can see, sowing broad beans in toilet roll centers worked really well. The one on top of the soil was cut open a bit to show the fantastic root system. I'm very pleased with the results. This shows one of the three, side by side, broad beans beds.
(http://www.hpphoto.com/servlet/LinkPhoto?GUID=38ac44c5-36cc-3311-41bb-39d715427c3c&size=lg)
they look great and those roots are amazing - I sowed mine in loo rolls just last week and I hope they do as well as those!
Mine are growing well in loo roll tubes too. Can anyone tell me when to plant them out? They are between 3 qnd 5 inches tall and the leaves are just starting to open out. They only started coming through last week but seem to be growing very quick now inside and i am wondering whether i should start hardening them off as i don't have a greenhouse or coldframe
Sparky
I hardened mine off for a few days and got mine in last week. I did put bottle cloches on them for a couple of days, only because they were only about an inch tall, but they grew like the clappers once they were in so off came the bottles and away they have gone!
Hi... :)
If they have been grown in the warm you need to start hardening off now,if they have been grown in the cold you can plant them out anytime now......Alan
Nice picture of nice broad beans ;D
I think you may have to add more soil such as the tops of the loo rolls aren't above the ground level - otherwise they act as a wick drawing up water...
Actually Multiveg, I left the rolls stick up a bit on purpose to thwart the cutworms while the plants are so young. Do you really think the cardboard will take away that much water as to hurt the plants?
Just having a browse of the HDRA factsheets online,
QuoteCutworm are the caterpillars of various noctuid moths. They feed on the stems of young plants at ground level, sometimes eating right through them. Lettuce and Brassicas are particularly susceptible, along with carrots, celery and potatoes.
QuoteBarriers: You can protect vulnerable young plants with stiff card "collars" at transplanting. For example, use cardboard inners from toilet paper rolls. These should be pushed a few centimetres down into the soil. Collars can also be made from old tin cans (with the base removed) or pieces of plastic drainpipe.
Touch wood, I haven't had much trouble with cutworms, so was blissfully unaware....
Ah, thanks for posting that Multiveg, you're a good sport.
I'm with (belatedly) EJ; I harden them off and then plant out under 2litre plastic bottles cut in half, for a bit of warmth and (more important on my plot) to keep the slugs off while they establish
I also heard the "wick" theory, the HDRA advice talks about a shallow ring, whereas your collar would go down 4" or so and therefore act as a more efficient wick (?)
Phil
Ahh, mine are still in the house are about 1/2 a metre tall and have few leaves on. I imagine they are "leggy". I suppose I left it too long then. :(
Start hardening them off, it would be a bit of a shock to them, but I think you could still get something from them....
Darkskies,
The other thing that will help will be some form of suport, I use pea and bean netting stretched across the plot, 2' from the ground.
Phil