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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: antipodes on November 12, 2007, 10:39:17

Title: my broad beans are flowering!!!
Post by: antipodes on November 12, 2007, 10:39:17
I wanted to know if this was a normal thing for them to do??? I planted them on September 4, maybe that was too early? They are Aquadulce variety.
Anyway they are about 30 cm tall and now have lovely purple flowers coming out!! what should I do? surely they can't give beans at this time of year? I hope i haven't buggered it up as the seeds are quite expensive. Also can I sow more of these now? or it is too late? Our temperatures at the moment are about 5 degrees C at night and about 9-13 in the daytime.
Any advice would be a help, I have never grown broad beans before, actually I have never even eaten them so it's all very experimental!!!
Title: Re: my broad beans are flowering!!!
Post by: Robert_Brenchley on November 12, 2007, 11:08:23
It sounds as though you were a bit early, at least given the sort of weahter we get these days. Mine only went in a couple of weeks ago; you don't want too much growth before spring.
Title: Re: my broad beans are flowering!!!
Post by: Rhubarb Thrasher on November 12, 2007, 11:16:19
if the worst comes to the worst, you can treat them as a green manure, like field beans, only more expensive  ???
Title: Re: my broad beans are flowering!!!
Post by: Lindsay on November 12, 2007, 11:20:38
September was maybe a bit early!  :(

I will be sowing mine (also aquadulce) this week; it isn't too late here, and believe it or not the temperatures are much the same as with you!  Otherwise you can always make another sowing in the spring, but I've found that those sown in November seem to resist blackfly more than those sown in the Spring.
Title: Re: my broad beans are flowering!!!
Post by: antipodes on November 12, 2007, 13:03:51
waaah!! It looks like I have b******cksed it up, doesn't it?? Oh dear, I had better sow some more then.

Does anyone think that if I cover them, like in a polytunnel, I might salvage the situation??
Title: Re: my broad beans are flowering!!!
Post by: star on November 12, 2007, 16:17:08
Why not? I would give it a try, as long as you have some insects in the tunnel to pollinate the flowers ;)
Title: Re: my broad beans are flowering!!!
Post by: cornykev on November 12, 2007, 16:36:52
I planted mine last week, you might as well give it a go antipodes.  ;D ;D ;D