Broad Beans- pale and interesting?

[roitelet]

In prevoius years \i have alwaus sown my Broad Beand directly in the soil and I have not had any problems. This year I started them in loo rolls and they germinated well and are now planted out and abut 8" high. The problem is that they are 'pale and not very interesting' Do they need a feed of some sort?

Help please!!!!!!!!!!!

[Two_Sheds]

we were just wondering about borad beans, thinking they were a new variety we had yet to discover...

can't really help on the reason for them being pale...too little light?

[madderbat]

Have you not got them outside Roitelet? Ours were planted out in the Autumn and are very interesting now, with flowers on (that I hope survive the frosts - if any).

Maybe you could harden yours off in a sheltered spot and then put them in some manured ground? good luck.

[roitelet]

Sorry about the spelling Folks, head full of cold.

The beans are outside under cloches and I am hardening them off over the next two weeks so that I can take the cloches off, but I've only just started this. So long as there is not likely to be a frost the clohes are half open to provide a wind break. They are planted over trenches of compost which is the way I usually grow them. I was wondering if a dose of Nettle or Comfrey juice would help?

Thanks

[Snadger]

In prevoius years \i have alwaus sown my Broad Beand directly in the soil and I have not had any problems. This year I started them in loo rolls and they germinated well and are now planted out and abut 8" high. The problem is that they are 'pale and not very interesting' Do they need a feed of some sort?

Help please!!!!!!!!!!!

Broad beans are a bit boring and tend not to be the life and soul of the party!
They just sit there, wherever you've planted them and don't move much. I suppose you could try playing them music, that may liven them up a bit, or even reading them a bit of poetry may work.

If you shout at therm it may shock them into doing a dance, but I doubt it!

Why not grow jumping beans? They are reputed to be quite lively!

[rustylady]

What sort of covering do the cloches have? Sounds as if not enough light is getting through to the plants. May just need a good clean.

[roitelet]

Thanks Rustylady. The covering is sheet plastic and it is new. Anyway they are half open and unless we get some really hard frost I plan to take the cloches off altogether in about 10 days.

If they don't buck up then Snadger I will SHOUT very loudly at them and play Beethovens' 5th at full volume, it may work, it did when I had very noisy neighbours

[Snadger]

I've disposed of my wine induced silly head now, so will attempt a diagnosis!
I wonder whether they were hardened off before planting out? Early in the year it was quite warm and sunny and a lot of people have been lulled into a false sense of security! The recent cold snap has knocked quite a few veg, but hopefully they will recover!
Just a thought!

[roitelet]

Thanks for that Snadger. They were in a plastic covered cold frame and then planted out under cloches. It could be that they wern't hardened off enough.

I shall just have to wait and see