Broad Bean Rotation

[veggiemo]

Hi,

Does anyone have thoughts on overwintering Broad Beans going into the bed where climbing French Beans were this summer?

I don't think they share the same pests/diseases despite both being Legumes, but will the nitrogen left by the FB's produce too much foliage and make the BB's plants too "soft" and thus more disease-prone?

Kind regards,

Mo

[Earthbabe]

I think you may have answered your own question there veggiemo. Personally I would try to avoid planting the same group twice in a row in the same soil. They can share similar pests and diseases I understand (looks up bean and pea troubles in Hessayon book!)

How about where your early pots were or something similar. I fortunately have a patch that has been "fallow" (ie untended for three years) so will be putting them there as most of where the earlies were has leeks/spinach on it now.

[roitelet]

I wouldn't plant them in the same ground as has been used before for a crop of legumes. I usually plant them in the area that was used for brassicas the year before and to which I added lime. I never overwinter them and find that they grow well from an early sowing. I just have to get the beans to set but NTG tha already suggested an answer to this problem. Next year I am going to sow in pots in the cold frame in January and see if this works. Over wintering them I have found causes too many losses due to the hard winters here (France)

[veggiemo]

Hi Earthbabe and Rotelet, and thank you for your replies.

Sorry both, I should have been more specific. I always grow overwintering BB's (Aquadulce) under initial protection outside (South of England) and they produce huge, delicious crops which start in May and are generally finished by the end of June when the Spring-sown BB's take over. The small number of pests that ever affect my French Beans (red spider mite/halo blight etc) are not normally a problem outside during the period from November to May/ear;y June and blackfly/rust/chocolate spot are not normally found on my FB's (or on overwintering BB's as it happens). My concern was mainly with the nitrogen levels left by the French beans.

Many people now find that there is not really a problem following one crop with another of the same familly provided this is within the same growing year and you take into account specific pest/disease life cycles. Potato suppliers actually suggest using the same bed for August-planted "Christmas" potatoes as was used for earlies. Unless you have huge tracts of land or only have one crop cycle per year it is very difficlut to stick to a "pure" rotation all the time.

Thank you anyway and I shall continue t ponder!

Kind regards,
Mo

[Jothegardener]

Crop Rotation Again

Hi

This may have been discussed before, but just wanted to clarify something. This summer I had 1st and 2nd early potatoes growing in one part of my veg patch in the garden and when they finished I sowed Raddichio, Pak Choi and Winter Radish which are growing, I have some spare space in that patch which I intend to plant my savoy cabbage seedlings that I have growing and also am going to put Broad Beans (Aquadulce) in, can I then next year have runner beans growing in that same area and spring sown BB?

Any help greatly appreciated.