I chitted and platnted my B.Bean seed as usual in root trainers in the g.house but running a bit late and before I could get them in the ground - well we all know don't we - down came the snow ice an all - so I now have beans growing away, a bit 'knocked' by the frost but look OK.
So what should I do, let them grow on until weather mild enough to plant out or cut my loses sling 'em and sow a fresh for spring? :-\
I do hate the idea of all that waste but I have 122 plants and thats a lot of planting out, it would more than likely take me about 4hrs I know I know I am slow but I just have to do what I can.
Appreciate any thoughts
If you can keep them going I would... If you cn give them some protection it is worth planting them out before the ground freezes again... :-\
They'd probably be better in the ground as it's less likely to freeze solid.
Wierdly the ones I'd managed to get planted out survived the cold snap, the ones that were next to them in seed trays waiting to go out didn't... moral of the story, get em inthe ground I think.... or "don't grow 200 broad bean plants".... one or the other....
chrisc
Thanks to everyone for their advice- think I will try and get them out with a bit of cover.
There was a lot of trouble last year with broad deans with the cold and snow they rotted in the ground , so i grew them in pot and planted out end of march and had a great crop in the middle of june (sutton dwarf bean) I am not really sure but if the temp in your area is droping below minus 4 then i would hold back it will save you seed and you will still get a great crop. Rugbypost
I think that it depends where you live in the UK. My allotment in Glasgow is frozen absolutely solid. I could not even get the fork out of the ground today!! Broad beans would not stand any chance outside.
I would pot them on and keep them in the greenhouse until the spring. If they get too tall just nip them out.
I simply don't understand this thing about over wintering with the likes of things like broad beans, peas, sweet peas to name but a few.
Sow the blooming things in Spring (early March) They all come up together and there is nothing gained by sowing them so soon. In fact more is lost to starving rats and mice who will survive very nicely on stale and mouldy bread.
It must be a bloke thing. Go and ask your wives what jobs need doing around the house and get on with them.
I stopped doing it because of waterlogging, but it does give a somewhat earlier crop if you use a hardy variety. One advantage is that you can them plant a second variety in spring, and save seed from both without having to worry about crossing! I've tried planting them later in the year, and always ended up with crap results.
Not to mention the blackfly that devastated my crop last year :'(
They're not a problem on an early crop, but I've had plants devastated later in the season. Susceptibility seems to vary from one variety to another.
Early planting makes them too tough for black fly, thats the old saying, but as I get fresh growth in the spring, I am not convinced.
I suspect the blackfly just haven't got going that early. They build up a bit on tips, flower bases and around axils, but not many plants get swamped, and varieties like Aquadulce Claudia take that in their stride anyway. Later plantings of less hardy varieties can be almost killed.
I am surprised that my Aquadulce Claudia, sown in October, are green and healthy at the moment, hardly bothered at all by the snow and ice of East Sussex. The casualties were a whole packet (forget the name but described as overwintering) that I put out in November, each with a small root (my usual custom). Not one has come up, and I am assuming that the suddenly frozen ground killed them almost at once, though it was mild and damp when I put them in the ground.
Last year was the only year in about 10 on that allotment that the overwintering beans did not come to much. I am a great believer in the early start they get in the spring, having built up a great root system over the winter.
It's always stood me in good stead Artichoke, I lost my o/wintering last year so had to sow again in spring but as I already said they were very very badly attacked by blackfly did not get anything like the harvest I would normally achieve. Every one on our Lottie struggled with blackfly last year even our Runner Beans were struck badly - I have never experience that before
I had the same problum last year i would not try to put them out its to cold for them to bed in repot them on i thought i had a big garden at 122ft by 40ft your garden must be huge (LOL) good luck to you have you got fleeze blankets to cover in the night it will help to keep them safe Rugbypost
Quote from: ACE on December 16, 2010, 14:52:49
Early planting makes them too tough for black fly,
self-regulating device controlling the supply of water in a tank, cistern, or toilet by means of a float connected to a valve that opens or closes with a change in water level
In other words
Ball cocks
Overwintering has worked in the past for me as long as the weather doesn't get too stupid.... lost them last year and it looks like I've lost them this year too..... doesn't worry me, I've got more seed to start again with and it was always a gamble.... no point covering them the increased humidity would rot them...... c'est la guerre....
Quote from: ACE on December 16, 2010, 14:52:49
Ball cocks
I would tend to agree - every year it's different - sometimes the Nov sowing is clear and the Mar sowing is infested, but just as often the other way about.
It may affect how many pests go for the stems but that isn't the main problem - because both sowings make lots of new growth and that is what attracts pests - the growing tips and the growing flowers and pods.
I personally think it's more to do with how late the spring is and how advanced the ladybirds are when the soft new growth attracts the blackfly.
Cheers.