Pathetic Broad Bean crop

[Marb67]

Well here I go again. I choose a variety this year (Robin Hood) for it's supposed high yield and each plant has small bean pods of an amount I can count on one hand, some less than that. A lot of the pods look like they have fallen off Why ? The weather has been good and I have a healthy wildlife population of bees, hover flies etc. Even the ones last year (Bunyards) were much bigger and healthier before they went downhill with thrip damage. These haven't even got to that stage. No new flowers on them so that will be it.

I just can't seem to grow these impossible crops :-(

[Rocketron]

I've never had any joy from "dwarf" broadies either.

[Jeanied]

I think this year has been a bit tricky for pollination, even though I have noticed bees around the flowers on mine have dropped or not all the beans in the pod have formed as normal.

[Marb67]

Frustrating isnt it. I love broad beans too. Oh well, i always do well with runner beans.

[noviceveggrower]

My broad beans have been bad this year. I planted Bunyards at the allotment and they have hardly grown. The first lot hardly took and I planted a second lot and they aren't much better. Don't know what the problem has been. Had a bumper crop last year.
Runner beans are a disaster too. Planted some in pots and 'white lady' direct. Still nothing.

[Dorothy rouse]

I posted yesterday about brown spot and rust on my broad beans, they were going really well, pulled them up today, to salvage what beans were left, and put in freezer.

Still have some red ones that have also got rust, but are a little bigger, but will probably get them up in couple days, they were also doing well.

Don't know what went wrong, maybe to wet or close?

[Alison]

Well here I go again. I choose a variety this year (Robin Hood) for it's supposed high yield and each plant has small bean pods of an amount I can count on one hand, some less than that. A lot of the pods look like they have fallen off Why ? The weather has been good and I have a healthy wildlife population of bees, hover flies etc. Even the ones last year (Bunyards) were much bigger and healthier before they went downhill with thrip damage. These haven't even got to that stage. No new flowers on them so that will be it.

I just can't seem to grow these impossible crops :-(

Where abouts in Cheshire are you, when did you sow, plant out etc? Mine seem to have been particularly good this year from a February sowing under cover and the planted out a few weeks later. They were a bit leggy when they went out (although well hardened off) but the mild weather seems to have given them a real boost. I wonder if you planted yours earlier / later and that might have made a difference if they missed that boost - mine are Dreadnought if that makes any difference.

[brownfingers]

My autumn set "Meteor" have done better than ever. Massive crop. They are nearly finished now though. They have just started getting visitors. I thought they were black aphids (they were being "harvested" by ants). Do they need zapping?

[Marb67]

I sowed a few times without success in cold greenhouse in Feb/March. had to get them to sprout indoors. Planted out last month.

[Alison]

I find that if I sow later they flower when the plants are very small therefore a lesser crop. When you say that you sowed without success, was that no germination or a follow up failure? I tend to germinate them in the house and then put in the (cold) greenhouse the moment they start to sprout. Am guessing you could prechit if you wanted. This said, somebody will be along in a minute to say that they do great from a May sowing

[Littlefox2000]

Hi there, I tried an autumn sowing in my poly last year....only for the poly to blow away and my plot was under 3 ft of water for most of the winter/ early spring.

So I bit the bullet and bought a tray of broad beans (sorry, but no idea what type) from the garden centre. They were planted out around the end of April and they have done scarily well so far. They're enormous, loads of flowers and lots of pods have formed. I picked an early pod yesterday and the beans taste lovely. I didn't think they'd do this well, as I put them in the only bed that hadn't flooded and was ready for something to go in to it, without any decent winter feed. Only one out of about 30 plants even got black fly...last year all mine did and I had to pinch the tips out very early. This year I've only just pinched the tips out, to stop them growing any bigger, or it'll be Day of the Broad Beans.

I think trying loads of growing methods is a good thing...but each year is going to throw us new challenges and we have learn and move on. I'm super happy, even though I had to buy my beans and didn't actually manage to overwinter or sow them myself.




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[brownfingers]

I sow in modules in late autumn. Pot up when they get a bit bigger, and when they get to about 6", out into the nasty cold before Christmas. Didn't even give a bit of protection this year. Very big crop which is just getting close to finishing. I saved 3 plants in big pots in the gh in case of casualties. When there wern't ant casualties, and the plants were up to the roof, I planted them out, still in the pots. I had to be careful not to let them dry out because of this. The yeild from these were outstanding too.

[Two_Sheds]

I know you don't want to hear this (anyone), but I've had a fab spring, the best ever.
I'm picking a carrier bag full of broadies (and peas) every other day. I've never had 5ft tall broadies before either: they've just been terrific.

Why? Very mild winter (one frost, no ice, no snow), very wet early spring and very warm late spring

[Alison]

Why? Very mild winter (one frost, no ice, no snow), very wet early spring and very warm late spring

That's why I think it's a timing issue and the OP didn't get the advantage of those plus points.

[Marb67]

I managed to get a late plant by fluke which grew beautifully late summer. Loads of flowers. Really chuffed until again the tops were ravaged by the thrips. The flowers though healthy have fallen and any beans that are forming are pathetic.

I was going to grow them in autumn as suggested here but I really cant see the point. Thips get through anything however hardy it has become. I need to get rid of them and all the other pests like flea beetle. I have plenty of wildlife encouraged but it seems not enough.