Allotments 4 All

After my first post on "Fennel" could anyone explain why the flowers on my broad beans are dropping without forming beans?
Weather perhaps?
Lower flowers are dropping off, later ones seem to be forming beans.

I have stood and watched bees go into the flowers on runner beans from the back!,those flowers then dropped off a short while later.

Could the same thing happen with broad beans?

Hi, I just re-read my April Kitchen Garden mag and it said that sometimes beans do drop their flowers if they're stressed, and it can be caused by excessively hot temps for three or more nights in a row (+15 degrees) - could that be the cause?  Depends where you are of course!

I'm sure someone much more experienced will be along shortly, with a proper answer! x

Honeybees have short tongues, and can't reach the nectar in many plants. A regular trick is to use holes bitten in the back of the flower, sometimes by other insects. The result is that the bee gets the nectar, and the flower doesn't get pollinated.

Think your flower drop could be due to lack of water in the heat stressing the plants so they reduce the load on their remaining reserves & don't grow so many pods.

Broad beans need moisture reound their roots, just like runner beans.

Cheers

thanks for the help guys.
Beans do seem to be forming now, possibly the cooler weather?
Now... lets blitz all that blackfly!!!!