![]() ![]() The same treatment is required as for chocolate spot – ensure plenty of space between plants and remove any affected plants as soon as possible. This is another fungal infection, this time with spots on the underside of the leaves, often with a yellowish halo. Do not over fertilise as lush leafy growth makes the situation worse. Ensure plenty of space between the plants and remove any affected plants as soon as you see the spots. They are caused by a fungus Botrytis fabae which thrives in moist conditions. You may find brown spots appearing on the tops of the leaves of your broad bean plants, which then spread to the stems and eventually the beans themselves. ![]() You can actually prevent an infestation by pinching out the tips when the plants are in full flower. These aphids, specific to beans, arrive just as the first beans are beginning to form at the base of the plant. If you let them grow any bigger, it can be like eating a wad of cotton wool, but at this stage, the pods are deliciously crunchy and packed with that characteristic broad bean flavour.ĭon’t panic if you have let your beans get big and tough, they can then be podded, boiled and each bean popped out of its inner skin (a satisfying and meditative task) and then turned into an attractive salad or whizzed into a delicious houmous. ![]() I love the miniature bean pod too, picked the size of my ring finger, and eaten whole like a mange tout, only a couple of inches long. Broad beans at their best should be no bigger than a thumbnail. Regular picking (ideally 2 or 3 times a week) will keep production going for about 4-6 weeks. Harvest pods once beans have begun to visibly swell inside. Don’t just throw them on the compost heap, add them to the stir fry and you’ll discover a whole new vegetable experience! Wilted over pasta or a tasty spring risotto, they are fantastic. ![]() You can actually prevent an infestation by pinching out the tips when the first pods form at the base of the plant. This means if any seeds fail to germinate you have transplants the same size and variety ready to fill the gap.ĭo keep an eye open for the arrival of black bean aphid, or blackfly, on the tender growing shoots. When you get to the end of a row, either end, it’s a good idea to sow a clutch of 6 or 7 seeds, spaced a few cm apart. Either way, you will want a second drill about 20cm away, to form a double row, the beans then help to support themselves. You can either use a hoe to make quite a deep drill about 5cm deep and drop the seed in 20cm apart, or plant them individually with a trowel, using a string line to ensure you are going straight. Most people grow broad beans in a row, then you can support them with canes and string if they need it. Prepare the ground by forking in a little garden compost, or if you prefer the no-dig method, ensure you have a good layer of compost on the surface to plant into. They can then be put in a porch, greenhouse or polytunnel and will germinate quickly, even more so if you have a heated propagating blanket!īroad beans are also very happy to be sown direct outside in the garden from March onwards. I always sow the whole tray with the seeds first, and then I cover with compost, because otherwise if the phone rings, or something happens and I get distracted, I forget which cell I’ve already filled. Cover the seed with more compost and water lightly. When I’m sowing broad beans, I plant them down to about the first knuckle on my finger, about 2cm. You don’t have to disturb the roots and the cardboard will rot down in the ground. Loo roll middles come a close second if you are keen on recycling. If you are sowing broad beans indoors to get a head start, rootrainers are your best bet as they allow the roots to develop naturally and they can be used time and time again. You can even sow them at the end of the year in the September or October to overwinter and come into harvest two weeks ahead of your spring sown crop. One of the ideal jobs for March when it’s still cold, is sowing broad beans, and that’s because broad beans are really truly hardy annuals, they love getting their roots down when it’s cold and wet. ![]()
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