Broad beans

[WeeGarden]

Hello... me again with another legume question...

Should I be expecting every flower on the broad bean plant to develop into a bean? Would they do well without masses of pollinating insects?

The reason I ask is because I poked at a withered flower this morning and it fell off. I think I was expecting a baby bean or something. I've only ever seen a couple of bumble bees around. I live in a new housing development, and there ain't that much wildlife around here, apart from aphids...

[Capsid]

Not all flowers will develop into beans. But they also don't need masses of insects. Just because you haven't seen any bees, doesn't mean they aren't doing their job.

I have this image now of hordes of bees hiding round the corner waiting for you to disappear.

[ann-the-nan]

Broad beans.

I totally agree. Try planting some sweet peas nearby to encourage bees and other polinaters.

[WeeGarden]

Thanks! Lol! Sweetpeas are taunting me this year. 2 packets and not one germinated! I'm going to pop into the garden centre this weekend to buy some sweetpeas and nasturtiums.

[onefivenine]

My Sutton dwarf broad beans have got lots of flowers now, I counted 36 open already on this plant.

How long between now and seeing the first bean do you think?

[zazen999]

My Sutton dwarf broad beans have got lots of flowers now, I counted 36 open already on this plant.

How long between now and seeing the first bean do you think?

The flowers only last a few days, but the beans themselves take a fair while to get big enough to eat.

[onefivenine]

Thanks Andrea.
Some of these flowers are nearly a week open.
How long before a pod will start to appear? I keep checking them just in case.
Also wondering how many pods The Sutton dwarf tends to produce.

[gorgeousgrower]

I too am growing sutton dwarf and have tons of flowers. The point I wanted to make was, those flowers smell absolutely beautiful! I keep getting a wiff of them from all areas in my garden. At first I didn't know where the smell was coming from, but got down and dirty and stuck my nose right in there! Blooming gorgeous. I can't get enough of that scent - is this a new addiction I ask myself?

[bustertom]

Thanks! Lol! Sweetpeas are taunting me this year. 2 packets and not one germinated! I'm going to pop into the garden centre this weekend to buy some sweetpeas and nasturtiums.

Hi WeeGarden, Sweetpeas have a very hard shell and need to be soaked for 24hrs before sowing. Mine grew really quick - it might be worth given them another go if you haven't soaked the seeds.

Clare