David in Normandy wrote in
. fr:
Thank you for the advice. I'm a total newbie to broad beans. I've just
planted some beans directly into the ground but have no idea how high
they will grow. According to the internet broad beans grow three to
four feet high so I've planted the beans between some pea sticks of
that height I've cut from my hazel trees. I don't know if they will be
strong enough. I always grow my runner beans up 8 foot bamboo canes
all fastened together in a long strong wigwam.

I've a few broad beans around 8 inches high in individual plant pots
that I germinated indoors and they've been outside the last few days
hardening off - I plan to try growing them around a bamboo wigwam. I
am assuming that broad beans twist themselves around supports the same
as runner beans?

No. broad beans grow upright but your sticks and some string will stop them
toppling over when the pods swell.

http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/fruit_..._bean_care.asp

Another very silly question - can broad beans be eaten as green beans
ie the pods and later on just the beans shelled from the pods
themselves? If eaten as beans (seeds) can they be allowed to fully
ripen and be kept dry overwinter for use in stews etc? The name of the
variety is something like Swiss white (Suisse blanc). The beans
themselves are white and approximately the size of the beans you get
in baked bean tins, not the huge beans I've seem other people with.

There is no such a thing as a silly question
They can be cooked and eaten in their pods whole but imo is not a thing to
do early in the season as you may be waiting for the beans from the pod
instead. The reverse of what you say, but it's up to you.
Dry them for stews as you say, and are delicious, but keep some for seed
next year.

Another thing, you can keep sowing them to have progressive crops ie: sow
them every month from March-August. I sow 50 or so very close together 4"-
5" apart every month so that I can keep all the options open and dry, eat
fresh, freeze, give away or eat in the pod as with all types of beans.

I havn't heard of Swiss white (Suisse blanc) but as I said I have only been
growing for a few years. Give "The Sutton" a go as well if you like easy no
messing about and have not a lot of space.

Good luck with it all.
Baz