Crimson flowered broad beans

[rustylady]

Sorry everyone, had to start a new thread. I wanted to update on how the Crimson flowered broadies are doing. I know Flummery had some, and I've done the search thingy, but can't find the original thread.

Anyway, daughter gave me some seeds. They germinated really well, the flowers looked really beautiful and I have beans. The pods are short, 3 - 4 beans per pod. Good taste, quite strong. Growth hasn't been wonderful, but that could be due to the dry weather we've had. How did everyoine else get on with the Crimson broadies?

[Hazel at the Hill]

Mine have been smashing, RL - the flower are beautiful!

I've found them quite prolific in terms of the number of pods, but as you say, only 3 or 4 beans per pod. The beans are bright green and keen their fresh colour after cooking. Yum yum!

They've grown to same height as the generic ones (barry plot 19's saved seed from time immemorial!) at about 4', but interestingly enough they have been slightly less susceptable to black fly.

I've take care to put half a dozen plants for seed in mum's garden where there's no danger of them crossing so that I can keep seed for next year.

[Snadger]

I got half a dozen beans off NTG. All germinated and the plants are about 18" tall. They have been loaded with flowers which seem to have been in a succession rather than all at once.
Haven't picked any yet but they are certainly a worthy addition to the veggie beds and wouldn't look out of place in a flower bed.

This year I'll try eating a few but will keep most of the beans for planting next year.
Well chuffed, I've now got purple seeded and purple flowered. I should take a leaf out of Flums book and try cross pollinating to produce a purple flowered/puple seeded bean!

[Two_Sheds]

My Crimson Broadies were good: they are dwarf plants (about 2 foot tall), and only have short pods with 3-4 beans in each pod.
They didn't get any Chocolate Spot this year (it wiped them out last year).
I found they were definitely less prey to the Blackfly - perhaps they don't taste as sweet as my others (Aquedulce, Witkiem).
A worthy addition to the plot, I love them ~ am drying off the seed for next year now.

[jackie j]

Dry weather what dry weather you livin on a different planet to the rest of us ??? !!!! lol

[Two_Sheds]

Yep Jackie, It's been bone dry here on the East Coast. We had a bit of rain on Wed, but virtually nothing for weeks before that. The soil is like concrete.

[Hazel at the Hill]

Funnily enough, the crimson flowered broadies I've put in mum's garden for seed are only a couple of foot tall - at the Hill they are 3-4'.

[Flummery]

Mine in the flower border (to isolate them from the others) are only 2 - 3 ft tall Hazel. They were incredibly gorgeous in flower and now have pods on but not ready to eat yet. I'm looking forward to trying them. In the back garden I have Red Epicure and Violetta - also not ready to eat. The Sutton are growing on the lottie and are being eaten at the moment (also only 3-4 pods - I think I might try and get hold of one I grew many years ago, Masterpiece Green Longpod - that was a bit of a goer for no. of seeds per pod) , so I'm getting a good succession. Crimson flowered are definitely less susceptible to the dreaded black fly.

[Tam]

Are the crimson flowers scented ?

[Flummery]

I'd say they were slightly scented. Mind you, had to kneel on my front drive to confirm it - felt a silly billy!.

[Hazel at the Hill]

Mind you, had to kneel on my front drive to confirm it - felt a silly billy!.

Huh - think what I felt like with my kitchen scales at the Hill the other day weighing empty pea pods!

They are scented, I think, but I couldn't really tell if it was the 'generic' broadies or the crimson flowered ones.

[rustylady]

Dry weather what dry weather you livin on a different planet to the rest of us ??? !!!! lol

I think we must be Jackie. I'm originally from Plymouth and I do miss that soft moist climate. Up here we tend to get rain in downpours and not much in between. Just lately it's been really dry but tonight we had a thunderstorm and it's still raining a bit.

[Tam]

I'll try them next year. I asked if they were scented as I love hand weeding the broad beans because of the scent.