Broad beans

[-pat m]

Dear all

Here are my October sown Broad Beans “masterpiece green long pod” (sounds like they should be at cruffs) Well they are doing fine they look healthy and stood up really well to all the cold weather. My query is are the bulges on the side - flowers coming or more leaves? If they are flowers will they survive in a non-heated poly tunnel? And will all the effort be wasted? Any advice appreciated

Regards
Pat

[kentvegplot]

Wow, they look great! Yes, it looks like you have some flowers coming. They'll be OK, although I'm not sure whether you need insects to pollinate them - in which case, leave the doors open a bit on sunny days.

[Capsid]

Broad beans can resist frosts so don't worry about them in a poly tunnel. Mine wilted badly in an unheated greenhouse after the last few cold snaps and they looked very sorry for themselves, but they always came back.

[-pat m]

many thanks
Pat

[HayleyB]

My broadies have been under snow a few times and they're looking quite happy at the moment

[Mcbee]

Only planted mine out today. i grow them on in the greenhouse and now seems a good time to get them out. they are under tunnels / cloches so fingers crossed!

[hathor]

Help! I planted some broad beans in October, and they seem to have over-wintered quite happily. I only have a balcony, not a garden, so they're in containers, behind a windbreak made of fleece. They grew to about 18in tall & looked fine, but recently some of them seem to be rotting, but from the top, not the bottom! They go black & wither for the top 6-8inches, even though the first foot or so above ground looks quite green and healthy.
Can anyone tell me what's happening, and what I should do about it, please.

[Capsid]

Help! I planted some broad beans in October, and they seem to have over-wintered quite happily. I only have a balcony, not a garden, so they're in containers, behind a windbreak made of fleece. They grew to about 18in tall & looked fine, but recently some of them seem to be rotting, but from the top, not the bottom! They go black & wither for the top 6-8inches, even though the first foot or so above ground looks quite green and healthy.
Can anyone tell me what's happening, and what I should do about it, please.

It could be chocolate spot fungus which is a very common disease of broad beans. Having the plants protected behind a windbreak may actually promote the fungus. Good airflow around the plants is desired to minimise the fungus effect.

Does it look like this?

http://www.agric.wa.gov.au/ikmp/images/F115961b.jpg

[Alice]

Your beans look great Pat. You should get a great crop.

[hathor]

Thanks for the prompt reply, Capsid, but I don’t think chocolate spot is my problem. The leaves don’t have the speckled appearance of your excellent illustration. It’s more that the whole stem & leaves go black & rot from the top, while lower down, the plant looks OK.

I have tried to lay out one of the affected plants to photograph it, so you can get a better idea.

As I don’t have a garden, just a 2nd-floor balcony, the whole space can get quite windy, as you can imagine, hence my attempt to protect the beans. I have also photographed my little “a-pot-ment” so you can see how small is my garden: the broad beans are behind the fleece at the rear of the picture, so can’t be seen in that view. I’ll take your advice & remove the fleece if you think it’s doing more harm than good, but it can still get quite draughty around them, even with it in place: they are not fully-enclosed by fleece.

Maybe I should abandon these & just try dwarf beans like Sutton instead; these are Aquadulce.

Broad bean problem picture by OneHathor - Photobucket

Balcony A-pot-ment picture by OneHathor - Photobucket

[Capsid]

Broad beans are very hardy, they will survive the wind. Aquadulce are for overwintering and they can survive the frosts.

Your picture looks like the have dried out, how often do you water them? It also looks quite dark on your balcony and the plants look a bit spindly for October sown beans. Perhaps it is a combination of low light and infrequent watering? It's certainly not chocolate spot.

[Two_Sheds]

Help! I planted some broad beans in October.... some of them seem to be rotting, but from the top, not the bottom! They go black & wither for the top 6-8inches, even though the first foot or so above ground looks quite green and healthy

It is frost and/or wind damage. Some of mine got hit pretty bad this winter too. Just nip off the damaged parts, and the plant will carry on.

[Flobalob]

I'm planting my Broad beans tommorow. ( Bunyards Exhibition )
Not eaten them since my primary school days.

[Noodles]

I've currently got my broad beans in an unheated greenhouse. They're about 8 inches high now. I take it I should plant them out asap?

[Victoria26]

I'm with you noodles - My broadies are about 3/4 inches high and my petit pois are about 3 inches high. Will it be ok to plant these out too?

This is the first year I've went for peas and beans...