HELP! Broad bean Emergency!!

[menai_terrace]

I am an intensely enthusiastic yet novice veg grower, also new to forums of any kind, hello!

My beloved broad beans are to be the focus of my very small terrace garden. I've lovingly prepared the only bed I have, and planted out my seedlings. They initially appeared very happy in their new home, but the brilliantly hot weather of this week has induced flowering (I think!) in about half of the plants, even though they are only about 10cm tall.......is this the complete disaster I think it is?

Is there anything I can do, or do I need to quickly start again? Would simply pinching out the forced flowers do any good?

I will be very thankful for any advice whatsoever, I am very upset about it all

[francesbean]

Did you post this again?, exactly same question appears elsewhere Yesterday I think.

[menai_terrace]

nope! wasn't me!

can't find the thread from yesterday.....got any advice yourself?

My poor beans......

[francesbean]

look in vegging out -post is broad beans what happens if .......

Ithinkyoull find the answer to your problem.

Sorry dont know how to do links and things to other posts etc.

frances bean

[menai_terrace]

Thanks for the directions, but perhaps I need to be more specific.....

....my beans were sown indoors in my window in 3" pots in early April, and approx. 4" high when I planted them out last Thursday - a day or two before the recent hot and dry weather. I was away over the weekend and they may not have had enough water, as the new leaves were crinkly. Upon further inspection, half of the plants had developing flowers close to the main growing tip....

Will this affect further growth? Or will the plants continue shooting up as normal? I have very limited space, and was pinning a lot on these beans success....I do have some back up thinnings - would you suggest pulling out the flowering ones and putting in replacements? Or even pinching out the developing flowers?

I would be very grateful for any advice you can give.....thanks!

[zazen999]

Hi Menai

Firstly, can you pop your location in so that local grapes can advise you.

Alot of broadies will be flowering now; Just keep them well watered and I'm sure you'll have beans coming on soon. The beans grow after the flowers drop off; from behind where the flowers are. Flowering has to happen before beans can grow.

If you pinch the flowers off you'll have no beans.

[Two_Sheds]

If you pinch out the flowers, you won't get any beans. Like Andrea said above.

They will continue to grow even though they're flowering - mine are putting on about 2 inches a day. Give them a drink (a good drink, don't just sprinkle the soil).

[menai_terrace]

Hello to all, and thankyou for all your helpful advice.

Phew! It seems that I got all het up over nothing....I was just worried that once flowers had begun to develop, the leaf growth would drop back and there wouldn't be enough foliage to nourish the beans.

I promise not to pinch out the flowers, and also to buy a bigger watering can!

I'm just off to buy a 20 quid plastic greenhouse tower thingy to house my peppers, chillis and tomatoes.....can anyone suggest any other tender plants that its not too late to start off in my new hot house? I think they'll be some spare space for a couple more pots....

Thanks everyone!!