Broad Beans

[JennieAtkinson]

The broad beans in the plytunnel are going great guns, about four feet tall now with a fair number of flowers and small bean pods forming.

Any advice on how high I should let them grow before pinching out the tops?

I am struggling to keep them upright now, although have them reasonably well staked.

[bramble]

Sorry can't help Jennie, have never grown beans of any kind. Its a strange thing but Irish people don,t seem to bother with beans at all, the peas seem to be more popular.

[Lesley Jay]

You should pinch out the tops when the first beans start forming Jennie. What variety are they?

[JennieAtkinson]

I'm growing Super Aquadulce. Anyone had any luck with these? Should I be growing another variety?

Fraid I am a sucker for Sarah Raven's glossy catalogues and her "If you are only growining one (runner bean/broad bean/pea, etc.) this year make it this one..........."

Just HAD to peek in a pod tonight and I ate just the tiniest of broad beans. So sweet. Never grown them before and my husband and I have terrible memories of being fed really horrible ones as children, so I am hoping they will be quite different

[nick the grief]

I grow Super Aquadulce JA & they have gor realy well for me but I think you'll find that they are cheaper from The Organic catalogue than "The coat"

If you look on Robinsons & sons site (www.mammothonion.co.uk/) or Edwin Tuckers they sell a red flowered broad bean. SOmeone I know gave me 4 seed this year so I've been growing them for seed for next year & the scent from the floweres is overpowering! Not sure what they taste like but well worth the space just for the flowers.

[Slug]

Broad Beans - aphid infestation!!!!

Can someone help me please...!! I have a desperate case of aphid attack on my broad beans - they're absolutely smothered in them!! They're the horrible big ones too, so the idea of squashing them in my fingers is quite repulsive!!!

I tried pinching out the tops as I'd heard that would deter them (or is that black fly?), and it's done nothing... All they're doing now is working their way down the stems....

If this is the trouble I'm going to get with broad beans, then I'm not sure whether I'll try them again next year. I've never really eaten broad beans either, so this whole thing is a learning experience!!!

I don't want to spray with insecticide as I'm trying to be organic, but I don't think mother nature and her army of ladybirds can come anywhere close to bringing this population of aphids under control...

Someone - help me please!!! What can I do???

Slug

[Lesley Jay]

Slug you can buy organic aphid sprays from the garden centres but people on the grapevine recommend spraying with soapy water. I have read that growing summer savoury amongst the beans helps deter aphids.

Jennie Super Aquadulce grows to about 3ft in height so pinch out the tops.

[Shortie]

Slug

I think you can use soapy spray on them (I plan to with my runner beans when they build up again). Don't know the quantity though, sorry...

Also, a blast of water from the hose should help by literally knocking them off the plant. That's what I did on my runners a week before I went away and admittedly they are building up again, but it really did help reduce them effectively and fast. Be careful not to have the jet too hard though as you may damage the plant

It's a shame as they have pretty flowers too

[Slug]

Thanks guys - I'll try the soapy water and see if that helps.

I tried blasting the critters off with a jet of water, and I also tried knocking them off when I pinched the tops out, but unfortunately they all found their way back pretty quickly

Still.... soapy water is it - and let's see them survive that one!

Does anyone know what sort of ratio of soap to water I should use (so I don't kill the plants along with the aphids? I assume I can use just washing up liquid or something like that?

Slug

[multiveg]

I would not "advise" using washing-up liquid but that would work, I'd guess a ratio akin to washing up!. It is possible get insecticidal soap (can be used also to clean things, etc) which is allowed to be used as an insecticide. Bureaucracy!! Don't spray in full sun or when it is very hot - perhaps in the evening. Some people also give a foliar feed (seaweed/liquid fertiliser...) at the same time as soapy spray - the soap may damage the coatings on the leaves making it easier for things to be absorbed.

[Alice]

Hello, yes the soap does make it easier for things to be absorbed so for really pernicious weeds like horsetail it helps to spray them with soapy water before spraying with weed killer.

[Slug]

Hi Multiveg,

Thanks for the advice - I would have probably gone out there with my washing up liquid thinking that was the thing to do!!

Is the insecticidal soap organic, or is it just as bad as using an insecticide? I'm trying to be good in the garden and get the little critters without harming the ladybirds etc... in the garden.

Slug