Dwarf broad beans

[Spunky]

Has anyone got any preference to dwarf broad beans?
I've tried the Sutton the the last couple of years and the results have always been terrible
I'm thinking of trying robin hood has anyone got any experience with them or is there a better variety?

[Greenleaves]

Coles Early Dwarf is another Autumn planted broady, although claimed to be dwarf mine grew to over 1.5 mtrs

[Zelenina]

Karmazyn is shorter than usual, with pretty pink beans. I haven't deliberately grown it yet, but I suspect one lot of Red Epicure I bought were really Karmazyn because they were much shorter than the other batch growing next to them. But I don't think Karmazyn are for autumn sowing.

[Spunky]

Thanks tbh I'll be sowing them in spring now so they don't have to be autumn sown :-)

[Kristen]

I tried growing The Sutton one year, and was very disappointed; I decided (although only based on a Sample Size of One!!) not to grow Dwarf Broad Beans again. Unless the site is very windy I don't think its worth it (and my back gets pretty fed up bending down to pick Dwarf French Beans! so not sure Dwarf Anything is for me )

[solway cropper]

Never had any trouble with Sutton, always good crops although I'm not sure what they mean by dwarf as I always have to pinch out the tops when they reach 4 foot tall. Must be something in my soil!

[Chippy Minton]

Interesting, I've always grown The Sutton and been very happy with the results. Added Karmazyn last year and had terrible luck, they got something like rust and didn't thrive, I'm going back to The Sutton!

Just goes to show....

[Zelenina]

Red Epicure are my favourites for the flavour and colour of the beans. This year my definite Red Epicures (from Unwins) were taller and more productive than the suspected Karmazyns, though not hugely tall. But neither of them did wonderfully well. I think it was because the weather got too hot too soon for them. That's why I want to try autumn sowing.

I also have some Aquadulce that I might put in my new plot if I get it cleared soon. And I have some definite Karmazyns that I haven't tried yet. In the spring I think I'll do a little experimental patch somewhere with a few each of real Red Epicure, dubious Red Epicure/Karmazyn and real Karmazyn to compare them.