Too Late for Peas/Beans?

[arch01]

I have some space that has opened up on the plot and I was wondering if it is too late to put in a row of Kenya beans and/or peas (pod or mangetout). Any thoughts? I am in Oxfordshire.

Thanks!

[Snoop Puss]

You can often work out whether it's too late by counting back from your first frost date. My first frost is mid-October. My beans supposedly take 55-60 days to first harvest. I'm about to start some off for a short crop. And if the frost holds off a bit longer than usual, I'll be picking them a bit later.

When's your first frost?

[jonny the plant pot]

Pea Alexander is a good one to start now

[veggiechicken]

I'm going to sow some more mangetout and climbing french beans soon and some dwarf ones for undercover.
What have you got to lose by trying

[arch01]

I'm going to sow some more mangetout and climbing french beans soon and some dwarf ones for undercover.
What have you got to lose by trying

My thoughts exactly!

[ESBkevin]

I've just put another short row of peas in and have one more packet to go in this week when I lift a row of strawberries, an indian summer and a bit of fleece can see a decent enough crop yet.

[Knight of Albion]

Yes, I think it's worth a try. We're months off a frost and a good three months before the duration of sunlight starts to diminish.

[happyhumph]

I'd be giving it a go if I had any space left...
I've just done dfb in pots, if it gets to cold ill still k those ones in the greenhouse

[Mr Bones]

Last week I put more French climbers in

[craftymarie]

I sowed a few more runner beans on the 2nd July and they seem to be growing very well about 1 ft already. So I think it is worth a short. My mangetout has just got mildew so I might try starting some new ones off or some other pea/bean in pots to eventually take their place. Loads of time yet - she says hopefully!

[AdamB1978]

Hello
This is my first year growing veggies and am pleasant surprised so far how its gone. I have a couple questions which vaguely relate to this thread so thought I would add them:

1) Today I harvested by broad-beans. A bit too late I think given that the end of some had started to turn black but still got a decent amount. There's a few smaller ones left on the plant but not enough to justify the space they take up. I read that I should cut them down to ground level and leave the roots in - is that right?

2) in my greenhouse I have some broccoli, peas and parsnips ready to plant out. Would you recommend planting any of these in particular in the space opened up by my cut down broad-bean plants? The next spaces likely to open up after that will be when carrots are pulled up in the next week or so, and then perhaps spring onions soon after.

Many thanks

Adam

[Jungle Jane]

Beans & peas produce their own nitrogen & can both be cut down & leave the root in there,as it rots down it releases nitrogen into the soil so I think brocolli would be best after the beans. How are your parsnips growing? Are they in cardboard tubes? They might need to go out now?

[rollingrock]

You can often work out whether it's too late by counting back from your first frost date. My first frost is mid-October. My beans supposedly take 55-60 days to first harvest. I'm about to start some off for a short crop. And if the frost holds off a bit longer than usual, I'll be picking them a bit later.

When's your first frost?

by those numbers you have cut off of august 16 to have the seeds started
but those numbers do not include days from planting the seed to germination 5-7 days plus a few day as buffer so you need to start you plants from seed by august 1.
for mangetout pea or sugar snap but garden pea is bit more frost hardy so
I go with shelling pea like Alaska also known as ( Earliest of All pea)
given today is july 18 you have 89 days till your frost date.

[AdamB1978]

Beans & peas produce their own nitrogen & can both be cut down & leave the root in there,as it rots down it releases nitrogen into the soil so I think brocolli would be best after the beans. How are your parsnips growing? Are they in cardboard tubes? They might need to go out now?

Thanks Jungle Jane. That's helpful advice - I'll put the broccoli in their place.

The parsnips seedlings have grown very nicely in the greenhouse, though not in cardboard tubes (only planted them 3 weeks or so ago). I'm going to move them outside this week/weekend if I can find some space. I know that a lot of advice is that you shouldn't transplant root vegetables and should sow them directly where they are going to grow, however I didn't have any space at the time. Also the same advice is given about carrots but I started them in the greenhouse and they've since done well since moving outside....so I decided to take the chance with parsnips. Time will tell whether it works! I also didn't have any tubes so didn't have any choices!

[ESBkevin]

Hello
This is my first year growing veggies and am pleasant surprised so far how its gone. I have a couple questions which vaguely relate to this thread so thought I would add them:

1) Today I harvested by broad-beans. A bit too late I think given that the end of some had started to turn black but still got a decent amount. There's a few smaller ones left on the plant but not enough to justify the space they take up. I read that I should cut them down to ground level and leave the roots in - is that right?

2) in my greenhouse I have some broccoli, peas and parsnips ready to plant out. Would you recommend planting any of these in particular in the space opened up by my cut down broad-bean plants? The next spaces likely to open up after that will be when carrots are pulled up in the next week or so, and then perhaps spring onions soon after.

Many thanks

Adam

Hello Adam,

As stated the nitrogeon in legume family plants is free so cut and leave the roots of peas and beans. The cabbage family tend to like firm ground to be planted, it stops them rocking in the wind and rotting off where they meet the soil. On that basis your broccoli are a prime contender for the broad bean patch. I would try and put the peas somewhere else and gain the nitrogeon fix from them in a new spot for the follow on crop. Yes get the parsnips in now where ever space permits and the late harvesting wont impeed your other planned crops.