Whats happened to my broad beans?

[Frankiebaby]

My poor broad beans!

Does anyone know what's causing this damage? Many of the flowers have gone all manky.

At first they suffered from the weevils but that seems to have calmed down now. I have noticed ants on the broadbean plants, a few on each plant. Could this be a sign of aphids? Could they be causing the trouble?

And does anyone have a suggestion of how I can get rid of the aphids/ants? I've heard people talking about soap water. Do they mean just water with a bit of ordinary soap in it? Will this hurt my soil? Is there an organic soution?

Thank you!

[Earthbabe]

It probably is aphid, usually black fly, they are in abundance this year and the ladybirds are struggling to keep up on our plot. Soap water is usually washing up liquid in water - no state secrets. Use a sprayer and try to get close enough to rub off any aphids you can see. Try using Ecover or similar if you are concerned about the environmental impact as that is a better ecological choice.

On another note pick out the top shoots and remember the flowers will wilt if they have been pollinated prior to the pod growing. When you see pods forming start watering.

[roitelet]

It could well be aphids and the soapy water solution would kill them but you will probably have to do it several times to get rid of them. I think that there is an organig insectidal soap available and I am sure another grape will be able to tell you about it. I don't think that it will hurt your soil. I try to be as organig as possible but from time to time I do use a little washing up liquid in water to get rid of aphids, just a small dash in 5ltrs does the trick.

Best of luck.

[Frankiebaby]

Thanks for your help guys...

remember the flowers will wilt if they have been pollinated prior to the pod growing. .

Sorry, this bit I didn't understand. Don't the seeds actually need to have been pollinated before they form pods?

Or do you mean that wilting flowers could be a signal of pods on their way? I hope so, that would chear me up!

I have been seeing that people sowing their broad beans in Novemver (I think it was) have had less trouble with the pests. I'll try sowing in Novemember this year.

[Cutecumber]

Earthbabe is right - the flowers wilt after they have been pollinated - usually they shrink and dry up, but sometimes they go soft.

Wait a few days, then gently pull a flower - you may find that it comes away leaving a tiny weeny bean behind.

That's the best-case scenario, of course...

[Earthbabe]

Sorry frankiebaby I didn't explain myself well. That is exactly what I meant, cutecumber has clarified it beautifully.

As for planting in November I did and I have been inundated with little black blighters.

[Alison]

I did both Novemeber and a spring sowing and quite frankly all the checking up on them in winter storms was a right pain for me! They're ahead of the spring sowing but only slightly and they're a different type so would potentially crop at a different time anyway. Not sure I'll be bothering this autumn.

[Two_Sheds]

I ate my first Aquedulce 3 days ago (tiny, but won't be long now). they survived the winter winds very well on a west-facing wall. No sign of blackfly yet. I would sow in autumn again, but they MUST be protected from the wind

[Cutecumber]

When I first got the veg growing bug, it was mid-winter, and I all I could find to sow was broad beans (The Sutton). It was, I now realise, a particularly cold and vicious winter that year and even planted in pots with fleece, a few of the plants took fright and died. I haven't bothered with an autumn sowing since.

This year, however, my spring sown beans are taking soooooooo long (it seems like it, anyway), I might try again with Aquadulce in the autumn. I'm going for large pots again, I think. And lots of fleece.