Broad beans flowering question

[cabbagepatchkid]

Hi all,

My overwintered broad beans are flowering already - is this good thing or a bad thing? It's only a couple so far, and they are the taller ones, but they are still barely a foot tall! Seems a bit ambitious on their part, but this is my first time growing broadies, so I've no idea what to expect.

[Snoop Puss]

Do you know what variety you grew? Some are quite short.

[cabbagepatchkid]

Wizard, Aquadulce Longpod, and Bunyards Exhibition. They are all supposed to be 3-footers, and the first 2 are flowering.

[Snoop Puss]

Maybe they're just being optimistic! Either that, or there are a few odd ones of another variety in the seed packet by mistake. But I wouldn't worry too much. Better that they flower than that they don't. Broad beans are very good at throwing up more than one stem. If beans form, pick them when they're ready to encourage the plant to keep producing more.

One thing though: different varieties of broad beans cross with each other readily. Again, not a bad thing in terms of your harvest this year. But if you save seed for next year's crop, you won't reliably be able to say what you're growing and the characteristics might be different.

[nickdub]

Not to worry hopefully, as has been said, they will throw up some new and stronger shoots from the base. Quire likely the flowers will not get pollinated what with the weather, and the scarcity of bees this time of year.

[veggiechicken]

I have flowers on the Aquadulce. They've been buried by snow twice but still bounce back up, with flowers.
I'm not worried about them, they'll do whatever they need to do in time.

[cabbagepatchkid]

Thanks guys, will stop fretting over them and let them get on! Good to know about the crossing Snoop Puss - we'll see which one we like best and just try growing that one next year then!

[veggiechicken]

If the flowering is staggered, cross pollination won't be a problem.