i planted out my broad beans about 4 weeks ago when they were a few inches high. They have hardly grown and look as though they are being eaten by a bug of some kind (very small chomp marks). We found some small brown egg like things on the leaves. Does anyone know what this could be and how we can get rid of them? Thanks
Are the bite marks on the edge of the leaves? Because vine weevil love a bit of Broad Bean... but the eggs don't sound right (you get them in Wilco's compost, apparently!!! - not really, it's a long story)...
It's Pea and Bean Weevils that are making the bite marks. They do very little damage, just make the plants look a little less tidy - as if a broad bean plant could ever be tidy in the first place.
You're more likely to be right than me, red! I'd always thought it was Vine weevil, as I've seen lots of their damage on strawberries on the fruit farm, and it looks the same... but I think I'm pretty likely to have been wrong all this time... same cure either way!
I too seem to have little bite marks out of the tops of my leaves. Having never grown broad beans before I thought this was how they looked.
How do I get rid fo the little blighters ?
How long did it take for the broad beans to come through. I think I put mine in about 10 days ago and no sign of them yet. Have they already been eaten?? i put them straight in the ground with no protection.
Quote from: Able on May 12, 2008, 15:39:03
I too seem to have little bite marks out of the tops of my leaves. Having never grown broad beans before I thought this was how they looked.
How do I get rid fo the little blighters ?
i have this too, What do I need to do to stop them ?
My beans went in towards end of mar. They took about 2 weeks to start to show and they are now about 7"-9" high.
I don't bother. They don't seem to do any harm so I let them have a meal. I don't want the leaves and don't care what they look like.
Quote from: chlodonnay2 on May 11, 2008, 20:00:02
We found some small brown egg like things on the leaves. Does anyone know what this could be and how we can get rid of them? Thanks
It sounds like a fungus disease. Can't remember the name, but it's something to do with chocolate spot.
We usually get this (admittedly later on in the year), but it doesn't seem to spoil the flavour of the beans.
valmarg
Broad beans are pretty indestructible - last year mine had lots of chocolate spot but still produced a good grop - I only missed out on it as I turned up to pick the beans and the lot had been taken off the plants! I thought at first vandals but then found chewed pods - it looked like rats or other rodents, maybe squirrels. This year I will protect them with chicken wire.
I always get plenty of chocolate spot, but still get good crops. I don't think it's anything to worry about too much.
Only been growing for a few years, never had choclate spot, but always had the bean weevil notches out of the edge of the leaves.
It's never appeared to make the slightest difference TBH.
Following a thorough investigation 8), i found a couple of weevil looking things crawling about. Also there a quite few ants on there as well. I assume the ants would be good news though.
I will leave the weevils if people say they dont cause too much of a problem.
I dont want to use pest spray. But if problem gets worse is there an alternative ?