Peas and beans

[Jungle Jane]

Similar to peas the pods round out,here’s a photo from years ago,with the long broad beans next to the small peas to show size,try the biggest roundest pods,the longer you leave them the bigger the bean gets,if picked too early they’ll just be smaller,I like the smaller/medium size compared to the full sized bean

[Containergardener]

Thanks Jane.

[Andraste]

I always have trouble holding myself back from picking broadies when I know it's too early. Every year I get the urge to 'just try a pod or two' when they look like the ones in your pic CG but the beans inside are always too small (although fabulous flavour). I'm adamant that this year I will wait just a bit longer for them to look like little hourglasses side-on & get decent sized beans from the start.

[Containergardener]

I've picked my first broad beans. Realise now that you need a lot of plants to get plenty once podded out.
I know some pick young and eat the whole thing etc but wanted to see them fully podded.

[Andraste]

They might be little but I'm sure they'll be tasty If you can restrain yourself for a week or so longer for your next pick there won't be extra beans but you'll be surprised how much bigger they can grow in a short time. x

[Containergardener]

Anyone tell me whats up with my broad beans please?
Not grown them before.

[Jungle Jane]

Blackfly causing the curled tips but I’ve had this before it’s chocolate spot,quite common I found a link -

https://www.rhs.org.uk/disease/broad...chocolate-spot

[Jungle Jane]

Do they have blackfly or is that lots of spots? I think sowing them in autumn gives the plants more time to grow & produce before this common problem occurs.

[Containergardener]

No I've no blackfly

[Containergardener]

Blackfly causing the curled tips but I’ve had this before it’s chocolate spot,quite common I found a link -

https://www.rhs.org.uk/disease/broad...chocolate-spot

Probably the weather

[Containergardener]

So my broad beans and peas are starting to finish , still some left though
Today I chopped off some stems that had nothing left to harvest and some that had been snapped in the winds (need a better system next yr)
Wondering if I pull the plants out once all done or do I leave the roots in and chop the rest off? Something in my mind says I've seen you leave the roots in.

[Penellype]

So my broad beans and peas are starting to finish , still some left though
Today I chopped off some stems that had nothing left to harvest and some that had been snapped in the winds (need a better system next yr)
Wondering if I pull the plants out once all done or do I leave the roots in and chop the rest off? Something in my mind says I've seen you leave the roots in.

The idea of leaving the roots in is that the nodules on the roots of peas and beans contain nitrogen fixing bacteria and therefore the roots will help to fertilize the soil. However, the bacteria are working in symbiosis with the plants and as the plants have died the bacteria will also die if they haven't already done so. The roots will rot down and provide some nutrients - it probably doesn't matter whether you pull them out and compost them or leave them where they are. I tend to cut the plants off and leave the roots, but if I am planting something else and I come across a clump of roots where I want to plant I remove them.

[Containergardener]

Thanks Penellype

[ameno]

The idea of leaving the roots in is that the nodules on the roots of peas and beans contain nitrogen fixing bacteria and therefore the roots will help to fertilize the soil.

The idea that leaving the roots in will give nitrogen to the soil is, sadly, largely nonsense, even if it is parroted about by a lot of so-called experts.

The roots do indeed obviously contain nitrogen-fixing bacteria, but as you also say they have a symbiotic relationship with the plant, and therefore when they stop receiving sugars from the plant, they stop doing their end of the work. The roots themselves also contain very little nitrogen.
The lion's share of all the nitrogen those bacteria fixed went into the leaves and seeds of the plant, so if you want to use a legume (any legume) to improve soil nitrogen then you need to cut up and dig in the entire plant (as you would with a green manure. Just leaving the roots in makes no measurable difference.
Indeed, with broad beans, I would probably recommend against leaving the roots in the ground, as they are large and tough, and take quite a while to rot.

[Containergardener]

Anyone sowing peas and beans now?