broad beans/flowers

[edward tanguay]

Hi I'm new to this forum so keen to try for your advice.

Although I've been growing broad beans successfully for many yrs for the past two yrs the flowers have not set into pods, simply dropping off, this is in spite of having excellent, healthy plants and plenty of flowers...... what's going wrong, is it a lack of bees?

Ed

[sweetcorn]

I remember posting a similar question last year, and no-one really knew what the prob was. It had been (and is so far this year) very cold and wet at times, so it could be that. Or it could be that there aren't many bees around. But having said all that, someone did tell me to wait a bit longer, and sure enough eventually I did have quite a good crop of beans. Not as good as usual, it's true, but at least we had a fair amount. This year mine seem similar, but some of them have set nicely. However, they do look bedragled and rather mouldy in places which is a bit worrying. Let's hope the weather dries up a bit soon. As I speak, it's raining yet again, and persistently too. *sigh* Good luck

[Two_Sheds]

Bees are unnecessary to pollinate broad beans ... they can be self-pollinating. See my earlier thread for a full and dull explanation: http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...tml#post223238