the books say you can repeat sow up to the end of May, but this never works for me. I get weak stemmed plants with just a few (very large) pods. They would be Aquadulce or Bunyard's.
Anyone do this with a success??
I notice that the commercial growers here in Cheshire don't harvest their's til weeks after ours have finished
Aquadulce vars are really for overwintering but I would have thought Bunyards would be ok... we have just germinated Red Epicure and will planting them out soon...
;D
I planted some broad beans in late July last year and by Mid September has magnificent lush plants that 4 weeks later were black and useless.
This year I will try July 1st for a late crop. That is the beauty of having the space of an allotment - you can experiment and learn. PS they were Bunyard's
see
http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments_Vegetables_Broad_Beans.html
for last weeks photos and a magnificent peacock butterfly!
I've planted as late as the second of May, and had good results. But the later you plant them, the greater the chances of blackfly.
My red epicure have just gone out. I have tried later sowings but for me, the ground is to dry to get a decent harvest (we have no water on site) and as I am the only beany scoffer, I decided not to bother.
:)
my later sowing last year was fine at first, started podding,but suddenly all the plant, pods and all went black and died :(
love your blog Allaboutliverpool :) /shades x
Second season growing b-beans...
Hmmm. Bit worried now. Sowed the rest of the Aquadulce packet (about 20 beans) about 6 weeks ago and am still waiting for some sign. The Nobvember sown are about 6 inches high and have been for the last few weeks.
Was trying not to have them killed off by a late hard winter and now I'm wondering if I should have just gone ahead and shoved them all in in one go!
Are results better when germinating before planting/ soaking etc?
Angle, that blackening might have been chocolate spot or maybe blackleg...do broadies get blackleg? My plot seems to suffer from chocolate spot and I have to say, my broadbean success is relatively hit or miss. If the chocolate spot or black fly doesn't get them, then the Jays do!
I always sow in pots, about 100 at start of Feb and 50 odd end of Feb. Usually can't tell and difference between them, tho last year the later plants were a bit bigger because of the frosts second week in April. Yes, then we got blackfly
Is it true late sowings are more prone to blackfly? I'd perhaps have thought that by then predator populations would be higher and you'd maybe miss some of the timelag between first attack and the ladybirds etc catching up. Certainly late sowing got more chocolate spot
I'd thought of the idea of super-late sowing, so that the beans would get the benefit of early autumn rains. Might try it
Well down here in the south west the ladybirds are out in full force so myabe we will be lucky this year.
Jitterbug
:)
been to plot today, 3 plants have chocolate spot, all of them have started to flower and they are not very tall :(
always sow them in November, usually get good crops, no blackfly,
EJ, I thought chocolate spot occurred when the plants are too close together with no air -flow?
not sowing any late bb this year, learnt my lesson last year! / shades x
I have overwintered Bunyards and Aquadulces and did a Feb sowing of Aquadulces which have only just been put in the plot. I have also now sown a Witkiem and Mastergreen Longpod for a later crop - I might sow some more Mastergreen in May but have not decided yet.
Weeded and fed my Sutton, poor germination and growth, sowed some more early feb indoors and filled in the gaps. Epicure and a couple of funnies, violet seeded and red flowered also set and through...
last year I sowed 'The sutton' dwarf broad beans on the 29th March and had a good crop from sturdy plants that got a bit of blackfly but not too much and it rubs off anyway - didn't affect the beans.
As yet, I've not got them sowed yet cos of some recent ill health (& a septic toe & could only wear an open sandal) but hope to do so over Easter.
I sow a second batch around 3rd/4th week of May and cover these with fleece to keep blackfly off. it worked last year.
so will do so again this year
The Sutton can be sowed up to July(??) Anyone tried it? Lots of ladybirds about. Hope they don't die of starvation before the blackfly come
A few days ago I sowed 2 rows of Sutton but knowing now that they can be sown later still, will probably sow another row in a few weeks or so, when I've got other stuff in.
My later sown BBs always got blackfly, so now I only sow in November, either Bunyards or Aquadulce.
There are far more ladybirds around this year, but they should be OK as long as it stays reasonably warm. The problem last year was that they hatched out early, then there was that long spell of cold weather, and therefore no aphids. They don't need masses, just a few.