Allotments 4 All

I was always led to believe that the reason for autumn planting was to avoid blackfly.

Quote from: Rob the rake on December 13, 2007, 20:37:52
I managed to get some Red Windsor seed for growing in the spring. Has anyone grown these before? I can't see them in any of the current catalogues. I got them at the local boot sale as end of date stock, part of a haul of 100 packets of seeds for 4 quid. Result! ;D

Not heard of Red Windsor, but I planted Green Windsor this autumn. I havent tried them so waiting for the first tasting :D

no sign of my BBs yet ... I think the mice may have eaten them  :(  


... only one garlic popped up too - they've been in over a month.

Hi Star, Green Windsor are best sown in the spring, they're not as hardy as other varieties. You may need to give them a bit of protection. They're well worth growing though, not as productive as the longpods but with a far better flavour.
The red beans I found are Red Epicure, not Red Windsor, does that make more sense?

Rob. :)

Mice can be a big problem both in the autumn and spring. This year I covered the area sown with a scaffolders rubble net until plants had fully emerged. This seemed to do the trick.

Red Epicure are my favourite but I've never had any luck trying to over winter some... despite global warming!
:-[

Aquadulce sown about 5 weeks ago, had given up on them, but No, today they are just breaking through the ground ;D

So if there is no sign of digging, there is still hope they will emerge.

Mine were sown Nov 5th, now they are just starting to pop their heads through, about 1 to 2 inches high.  :-\   ;D ;D ;D

Thanks for all the advice.  The cossetted beans have perked up and I've opened up the windows in the mini cloche & staked them.  They're coping fine with frost.

Removed the polytunnel from the 6inch plants and staked them, removed the fleece from the ones that have just sproutedand leaving them to their own devices.

Trial and error huh?  I'm a great believer in learning by mistakes.

Must have a look to see if mine have popped up!
;D

My elderly neighbour earths his autumn sown broad beans up like potatoes. He says it stops them collapsing in a frost. His beans are always the tallest, the most flowering, and the most productive in the spring.

I have a nice double line of equally spaced holes!!!!
::)

Quote from: Rob the rake on December 15, 2007, 01:00:57
Hi Star, Green Windsor are best sown in the spring, they're not as hardy as other varieties. You may need to give them a bit of protection. They're well worth growing though, not as productive as the longpods but with a far better flavour.
The red beans I found are Red Epicure, not Red Windsor, does that make more sense?

Rob. :)

Oh dear.....thanks for heads up Rob, I will know better next year. And will get some protection sorted out tomorrow.                                         

Sigh :-\

One good reason for overwintering BBs is that I pulled my first meal on 25th May this year and from half an 8X4 bed got 1.7Kg of exquisite podded beans over the next 4 weeks without a sign of blackfly.
Do not worry about leggy growth, if you have wind problems because of tall growth, then they will stand cutting back.

I have a few pictures on

http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments_Vegetables_Broad_Beans.html

Hi there - here is my two cents.  I planted Witkiem - a winter hardy variety last year and got a wonderful crop before the blackfly got it.  The rest that I planted in Spring, Aquadulca got hammered by the blackfly and they ended up on the compost heap.  This year I planted Witkiem again but was a bit late putting them in the ground (They were about 30cm long), so I dug a very deep hole and took the tops off them.  I figure they have two chances - live or die. ;D ;D ;D

My early peas Meteor and Duce Provence are looking good though - no bean weevils attacking yet!!! Just put another lot of each into gutters and root trainers today for a second sowing.  Anyone else got peas on the go??

Jitterbug

Technically but they haven't shown so may have been nibbled like the broadies!  ;D

Quote from: mc55 on December 14, 2007, 22:03:09
no sign of my BBs yet ... I think the mice may have eaten them  :(  

No. I thought that. I planted mine on 11th November and nothing came through. I bought another packet to put in and when I got to the lottie this morning, first time since before Christmas I was gobsmacked to find every single one just poking through. That's almost 7 weeks to germinate.

Quote... only one garlic popped up too - they've been in over a month.

Same with the garlic. Planted 3 varieties the same day as beens. Germidore came through in 4 weeks, Christo a week later and just noticed Thermidome breaking through today after 7 weeks. so I'd give them more time before panicking.

had a very brief visit to the lottie at the w/e and was delighted to see that my broadies are just starting to poke through.  They are about half an inch high.

Phew !  8) 8)

I have always grown The Sutton due to being on plots that are hammered with the wind :( they always do well and ok you dont get so many beans per pod they are reliable !! I have tried so many times with Aquadulc but have given them one more go and they are up but the flipping pidgeons have been pulling them up so they are now netted !!
Going to try 'Express' in the spring.

After about 7 weeks since sowing, my daily inspections of the broad bean bed have been looking more and more forlorn.  But this morning, to my delight, I see 3 shoots pushing their way through.  Will watch out for the pigeons.  Better still, when it stops raining I'll cover them with netting.