Broad beans crossing -how far apart?

[FoxHillGardener]

So there I was yesterday idly watching the bees on my broad beans when I spotted several honey bees among the bumblies. All very nice and whatnot, but does this spell disaster for my plan to separate the crimson flowered ones into the front garden so they don't cross with the ordinary ones in the back? You see the nearest source of honey bees I know of is on an allotment about a mile away. So if they've come a mile, then front garden, back garden, not much difference really, is there for a determined bee. What do you reckon? Will they get crossed?

[Eyren]

I'm betting yes - bumblebees travel quite a bit in their search for nectar. Back garden vs front would probably do for wind-pollinated plants like sweetcorn, but I fear you're onto a loser with the broadies

[Flummery]

My seed saving book suggests 9m apart will work. This isn't because the bees can't travel more than 9 metres! It's because, in between your back-garden beans and your front garden beans, they will have visited other flowers. This dusts off the bean pollen and adds other flower pollen. So by the time they get to your other beans they have 'cleaned up their act' so to speak.

It also says that with some other crops that cross very easily, you can save seed by choosing the plants in the centre of the block. This applies to sweetcorn for example - although as sweetcorn pollen hangs in the air like dust I'm guessing you need a field of each before this one will work!

[Eyren]

Hmm, 9m wouldn't work on my lottie - too many bean-growing neighbours. Reckon I'm safe at home, unless the entire neighbourhood takes up GYO!

[FoxHillGardener]

9m, hooray! my beans are safe.

Thanks Flummery. Plus it sounds like the more other flowers I put in between that they can "dust off" on the better. Hooray! more flowers

[shirlthegirl43]

Thanks for that info. I will now put my The Sutton broadies at the back of the garden and keep the crimson flowered ones in pots on the patio - with runner beans and peas between I might get away with it

[blackcatlois]

I've actually read somewhere that broad beans cross really easily and you have to allow half a mile to be really safe!!!!

[Bazza]

I am hoping to save seed from my crimson flowered broad beans this year. I will use the suggestion of keeping seed from the centre of the block to try and maintain purity. Can't be too many grapes that are fortunate enough to be able to guarantee the half mile minimum to avoid crossing I wouldn't think.

[Alison]

It depends also on the type of area you are in. On a lottie there isn't much to stop the bees making a direct route between two sets of bean. However, in a home garden there are many more fences, buildings etc which makes it all less direct and as Flum says there are plenty of other sources of pollen to be visited en route. I believe that the greater distances quoted are those recommended for commercial growers but that you should be OK with much less, especially if you take the seeds for the middle of the crop.

[Flummery]

I've actually read somewhere that broad beans cross really easily and you have to allow half a mile to be really safe!!!!

My book says that about runners, not broadies.

[blackcatlois]

Oh, I got it from The Real Seed Catalogue's website - see below:

French Beans don't usually cross with each other, so you can save seed from several varieties without worry.
Runner Beans DO cross very easily, so only grow one type if you want to keep the seed.
Broad Beans also cross A LOT and are hard to keep for seed as you need to isolate them from others with 1/2 a mile or so.

[Flummery]

Well, everyone who got crimson broadies seeds from me will have to see what comes up this year!

[blackcatlois]

Well that's part of the fun!

[Alison]

Well, everyone who got crimson broadies seeds from me will have to see what comes up this year!

Will let you know what they're like, not flowering yet but looking good

[Alison]

Well, everyone who got crimson broadies seeds from me will have to see what comes up this year!

Flowering now, lovely and crimson so all is good - will take a piccie and post it later so you can all see how lovely they are. Will be saving seed off them myself this year so hopefully they'll stay true for me too.