Where are my broad beans?

[sweetcorn]

I have some very healthy broad bean plants which have loads of flowers on, and I have seen dozens of bees on them too, so they must be pollinating away. But some of the flowers near the bottom of the plant have just shrivelled and dropped off, and there's no sign of bean pods forming! What's going on???

[jacob marley]

you are having bad luck the pods should be forming were the flowers have dropped of unless you have the wrong type of bees some times with runner beans the bees seem to break the flowers of you should get some beans but how many lord knows or when i know this is no consolation to you but i hope it explains a bit ps i hope you get some beans jacob

[shirlthegirl43]

Is it possible that the bees are only visiting the flowers higher up the plant where they are easier for them to reach? don't know much about broad beans sorry.

[rustylady]

Be patient - when the beans are first starting to form they are really tiny. Give it a week or two - if they've been fertilised by your bees they will then start to swell. Bean pods take a while to grow.

[Snadger]

My Autumn planted Epicure are about five foot high and I have started picking beans. My spring sown Bunyards Exhibition are six foot high, and growing, but no sign of any beans.
Like you I have seen bees working them but nothing to show as yet. All is not lost as they will make a cracking green manure crop if the pods fail to form!

[Alice]

I think you'll get beans OK Sweetcorn. Mine are just starting to do it now. The pods are very small to start with. Maybe you're missing them.

[Two_Sheds]

6 foot tall broad beans! Mine never ever get above 2 foot tall, usually just 18 inches. I must admit I don't stake them and its a windy site, so some of them grow horizontally too

[Cutecumber]

Sweetcorn - although it is, apparently, unusual for broad beans not to set, I am a prime example of someone who cannot get a good crop.

I bet you that you will get more than the 20 pods that I achieved from 12plants!

The vast majority really do grow without a hitch (so I am told!!), but if it doesn't work for you, at least you known you're not alone.

Good luck!

[sewer rat]

I too have loads of flowers on my broad beans and have seen bees working feverishly all over them but as yet no sign of any beans. They'll appear when they're good and ready - I am about two to three weeks behind most of you anyway so not really concerned about it at the moment.

[Wendy]

My broad bean pods took ages to form, i thought there was something wrong with them as the flowers had dropped off and nothing no pods!..............but eventually after a few weeks they just started growing and now i have loads of lovely broad beans nearly ready!!!! so my advice sweetcorn is to be patient and they will suddenly start growing

[moggssue]

My broad bean plants are covered in pods, the largest around 2" long, but I can't feel anything growing inside them - do the beans themselves take a long time to develop, or have I got a load of duds?! Oh, and sweetcorn, the pods didnt form for a while after the flowers had seemed to die so be patient and they will appear for you.

[JennieAtkinson]

My pods are just forming - just wee little things at the moment! Last year though I did get a surprise when opening some to find them completely empty, although they looked like they had beans inside. No idea why that happens. Perhaps lack of pollination ? They are in the polytunnel.

[Sebbster]

moggssue, the beans will form and grow in size as the pods lengthen so nothing to worry about. What type are you growing ?

Some of my pods didn't really form until the flower had dropped off, some were about an inch long, I dont think you need to worry too much, they will appear.

[angie a]

Lucky all of you for having bees !!! I had lovely plants, with loads of flower, but not a bee in sight till last week. By which time all the lower flowers had dropped, and there are very few new flowers coming. My neighbour has the most wonderful lavender bush in flower, & not a bee anywhere near it this year. What is happening?

[moggssue]

Sebbster, my beans are Sutton, the dwarf ones. The plants are around 3' high and the pods around 2" so far. The flowers go black and then drop off and then the pods seem to appear a couple of days later - dont know if thats normal?!
Angie - I have more bees than I can cope with, maybe they're all in Bucks this year! Cutecumber said a few weeks ago that he had problems with lack of bees as well, I'm really making an effort to try to find plant they like and to encourage them into my garden since they seem to be suffering with the fashion for hard landscaping in gardens and with our farming methods maybe.