I've never grown broad beans before but mine, sown in March I think, are now
about 8" high with lots of flowers.

There's no sign of blackfly on them but I'm sure I've heard something about
nipping out the tips being a preventative.

What's regarded as the tip? A couple of leaves or the lot above the flowers?

What's the purpose?

TIA

Mary

In article ,
"Mary Fisher" writes:
| I've never grown broad beans before but mine, sown in March I think, are now
| about 8" high with lots of flowers.
|
| There's no sign of blackfly on them but I'm sure I've heard something about
| nipping out the tips being a preventative.

And I have heard that stump water is a sure cure for warts.

| What's regarded as the tip? A couple of leaves or the lot above the flowers?
|
| What's the purpose?

The realistic function is to stop them putting energy into growth,
so that the flowers set better. The secondary one is to cook and
eat the tips. And pinching them out won't encourage blackfly, so
there's nothing to lose.

You need to leave at least two good clusters of flowers - I tend
to pinch out when they have reached 4-5 clusters, and take just
the unopened leaves and perhaps the leaves below that. That is
partly because that is the right choice for cooking :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
"Mary Fisher" writes:
| I've never grown broad beans before but mine, sown in March I think,
are now
| about 8" high with lots of flowers.
|
| There's no sign of blackfly on them but I'm sure I've heard something
about
| nipping out the tips being a preventative.

And I have heard that stump water is a sure cure for warts.

Oh, I've never heard of that. I thought it was a frog held to the wart then
thrown as far as possible. But I don't have warts so never tried it.

| What's regarded as the tip? A couple of leaves or the lot above the
flowers?
|
| What's the purpose?

The realistic function is to stop them putting energy into growth,
so that the flowers set better. The secondary one is to cook and
eat the tips. And pinching them out won't encourage blackfly, so
there's nothing to lose.

You need to leave at least two good clusters of flowers - I tend
to pinch out when they have reached 4-5 clusters, and take just
the unopened leaves and perhaps the leaves below that. That is
partly because that is the right choice for cooking :-)

Right, I might try that. Never heard of cooking them but as I said I'm very
new to broad bean growing.

But is there a sound reason, apart from gustatory? I mean, you say pinching
won't *encourage* blackfly but might it *discourage* it?

Mary


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article ,
"Mary Fisher" writes:
|
| And I have heard that stump water is a sure cure for warts.
|
| Oh, I've never heard of that. I thought it was a frog held to the wart then
| thrown as far as possible. But I don't have warts so never tried it.

Read "Tom Sawyer" :-)

| Right, I might try that. Never heard of cooking them but as I said I'm very
| new to broad bean growing.

Not many people do it! But I like them, and you don't get a chance to
get tired of them.

| But is there a sound reason, apart from gustatory? I mean, you say pinching
| won't *encourage* blackfly but might it *discourage* it?

It might. I doubt it, but the practice helps the beans to set, anyway.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
"Mary Fisher" writes:
|
| And I have heard that stump water is a sure cure for warts.
|
| Oh, I've never heard of that. I thought it was a frog held to the wart
then
| thrown as far as possible. But I don't have warts so never tried it.

Read "Tom Sawyer" :-)

Oh, it must be true then :-)

| Right, I might try that. Never heard of cooking them but as I said I'm
very
| new to broad bean growing.

Not many people do it! But I like them, and you don't get a chance to
get tired of them.

I'll try them. and report if I remember.

| But is there a sound reason, apart from gustatory? I mean, you say
pinching
| won't *encourage* blackfly but might it *discourage* it?

It might. I doubt it, but the practice helps the beans to set, anyway.

How? Not doubting you ...

Mary

In article ,
"Mary Fisher" writes:
|
| | But is there a sound reason, apart from gustatory? I mean, you say
| pinching
| | won't *encourage* blackfly but might it *discourage* it?
|
| It might. I doubt it, but the practice helps the beans to set, anyway.
|
| How? Not doubting you ...

Basically, roots and leaves can deliver only a fixed amount of energy;
annuals start off by putting that into growth and, only later, into
seeds. By removing the auxin (plant hormone) feedback from the
growing shoot, you push the plant more strongly into the latter mode.

That's the theory, anyway.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
. net...
I've never grown broad beans before but mine, sown in March I think, are
now about 8" high with lots of flowers.

There's no sign of blackfly on them but I'm sure I've heard something
about nipping out the tips being a preventative.

What's regarded as the tip? A couple of leaves or the lot above the
flowers?

What's the purpose?

TIA

Mary

To help prevent blackfly infestation as they feast on the tender tips before
anything else and it saves the plant's energy. I would say yours are far too
short yet to pinch out unless you have a smaller variety. The tip is usually
a thick succulent looking bunch of leaves above the flowers but some are
just a few leaves.

In article ,
"Robert \(Plymouth\)" writes:
|
| To help prevent blackfly infestation as they feast on the tender tips before
| anything else and it saves the plant's energy. ...

If there are no tips, they head for the developing beans. At least
in the gardens I have seen (not just mine), they do.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
"Robert \(Plymouth\)" writes:
|
| To help prevent blackfly infestation as they feast on the tender tips
before
| anything else and it saves the plant's energy. ...

If there are no tips, they head for the developing beans. At least
in the gardens I have seen (not just mine), they do.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Maybe so but they do not attack in such numbers I find, having not built up
the initial springboard from which to spread. In any case I find that going
along and rubbing them out with your fingers seems to finish them off. I
wonder if the smell attracts more beneficial insects.


--
Rowdens Reservoir Allotments Association
www.rraa.moonfruit.com
Feed the soil, save the planet

In article ,
"Robert \(Plymouth\)" writes:
|
| | To help prevent blackfly infestation as they feast on the tender tips
| before
| | anything else and it saves the plant's energy. ...
|
| If there are no tips, they head for the developing beans. At least
| in the gardens I have seen (not just mine), they do.
|
| Maybe so but they do not attack in such numbers I find, having not built up
| the initial springboard from which to spread. In any case I find that going
| along and rubbing them out with your fingers seems to finish them off. I
| wonder if the smell attracts more beneficial insects.

That has nothing to do with removing the tips, and a great deal to
do with eliminating the worst of the initial infestations - you could
achieve just the same by leaving the tips and spraying with soft soap.
Yes, I have done that test.

Since I learnt their life cycle, I have reduced them considerably by
spraying my Philadelphus HARD in late spring - they overwinter on
that (and, apparently, on Viburnum, but not on mine) and then fly to
vetches for the summer.

You may be right that crushing them attracts their predators; it is
quite plausible, and I have seen no evidence either way.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

That has nothing to do with removing the tips, and a great deal to
do with eliminating the worst of the initial infestations - you could
achieve just the same by leaving the tips and spraying with soft soap.
Yes, I have done that test.

Well I have found over many years that if I don't pinch out the tips there
is a far greater infestation and this doesn't occur when the tips are
pinched out as then there is not such an initial infestation in the first
place. I think we shall have to agree to differ. Regards


Robert
Rowdens Reservoir Allotments Association
www.rraa.moonfruit.com
Feed the soil, save the planet

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
"Robert \(Plymouth\)" writes:
|
| To help prevent blackfly infestation as they feast on the tender tips
before
| anything else and it saves the plant's energy. ...

If there are no tips, they head for the developing beans. At least
in the gardens I have seen (not just mine), they do.

Ah. Good job I didn't rush out (it's raining) and pinch them all :-)

Mary

"Robert (Plymouth)" wrote in message
...

"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
. net...
I've never grown broad beans before but mine, sown in March I think, are
now about 8" high with lots of flowers.

There's no sign of blackfly on them but I'm sure I've heard something
about nipping out the tips being a preventative.

What's regarded as the tip? A couple of leaves or the lot above the
flowers?

What's the purpose?

TIA

Mary

To help prevent blackfly infestation as they feast on the tender tips
before anything else and it saves the plant's energy. I would say yours
are far too short yet to pinch out unless you have a smaller variety. The
tip is usually a thick succulent looking bunch of leaves above the flowers
but some are just a few leaves.

Oh it's a thick succulent bunch alright. Just not tall, can't remember the
variety but I don't think it was a dwarf one.

Thanks for the info re blackfly.

Mary

In article ,
says...
I've never grown broad beans before but mine, sown in March I think, are now
about 8" high with lots of flowers.

There's no sign of blackfly on them but I'm sure I've heard something about
nipping out the tips being a preventative.

Last year I didn't bother pinching out the tips of my broad beans. I
don't remember having a blackfly infestation (certainly no worse than
the year before, when I did pinch the tips). What I did get, because I
was lazy about cutting the plants down, was pods on the go from July to
October. Not necessarily lots, but it was nice to be able to get a few
pods to add to the mixed veg for dinner!
--
Linz
Wet Yorks

"Amethyst Deceiver" wrote in message
...
In article ,
says...
I've never grown broad beans before but mine, sown in March I think, are
now
about 8" high with lots of flowers.

There's no sign of blackfly on them but I'm sure I've heard something
about
nipping out the tips being a preventative.

Last year I didn't bother pinching out the tips of my broad beans. I
don't remember having a blackfly infestation (certainly no worse than
the year before, when I did pinch the tips). What I did get, because I
was lazy about cutting the plants down, was pods on the go from July to
October. Not necessarily lots, but it was nice to be able to get a few
pods to add to the mixed veg for dinner!
--
Linz
Wet Yorks

Hello Linz,

Yes, I'm looking forward to having our own. I rarely buy them because
there's so much waste (although it's lovely to se the beans in their nest).

I'm wondering if blackfly infestation is linked to latitude, so far there's
been advice/experience from the far south, East Anglia and you - the closest
to me.

I think I'll stop worrying about it. Pinch out few tops to see how they
taste and, perhaps - your mention of the word 'lazy' is significant! - keep
a record of the effects.

But I'll probably lose it or not have a pencil to hand when I remember or
....

Sometimes Life seems too short for such analysis.

Mary