In order to get the best out of the broad beans nitrogen fixing for the
soil, when they are finished, do I : a) pull up and chuck, b) cut down
and leave roots in soil; or c) leave whole plant even when throroughly
dead and unsightly? Anyone know? Ta for replies.

On Sun, 28 Jun 2009 15:44:40 +0100, Plum wrote:

In order to get the best out of the broad beans nitrogen fixing for the
soil, when they are finished, do I : a) pull up and chuck, b) cut
down and leave roots in soil; or c) leave whole plant even when
throroughly dead and unsightly? Anyone know? Ta for replies.

b they may even grow back and give you a second (lighter) crop

In article ,
Plum wrote:
In order to get the best out of the broad beans nitrogen fixing for the
soil, when they are finished, do I : a) pull up and chuck, b) cut down
and leave roots in soil; or c) leave whole plant even when throroughly
dead and unsightly? Anyone know? Ta for replies.

Yes. If you mean "put on the compost heap" by "chuck". Heaven
alone knows what the properties of each are, but they all work;
the last is probably the least effective, but I don't know.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On Jun 28, 5:37*pm, wrote:
In article ,

Plum wrote:
In order to get the best out of the broad beans nitrogen fixing for the
soil, when they are finished, do I : *a) *pull up and chuck, *b) *cut down
and leave roots in soil; *or c) *leave whole plant even when throroughly
dead and unsightly? *Anyone know? *Ta for replies.

Yes. *If you mean "put on the compost heap" by "chuck". *Heaven
alone knows what the properties of each are, but they all work;
the last is probably the least effective, but I don't know.

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

lost me, was that yes to a) or b) or c) ?

In article ,
NogbadtheCool wrote:

In order to get the best out of the broad beans nitrogen fixing for the
soil, when they are finished, do I : =A0a) =A0pull up and chuck, =A0b) =
=A0cut down
and leave roots in soil; =A0or c) =A0leave whole plant even when throrou=
ghly
dead and unsightly? =A0Anyone know? =A0Ta for replies.

Yes. =A0If you mean "put on the compost heap" by "chuck". =A0Heaven
alone knows what the properties of each are, but they all work;
the last is probably the least effective, but I don't know.

lost me, was that yes to a) or b) or c) ?

Yes :-)

All of them, depending. The last probably least, as I said, but
the others will depend on what you mean by 'best'.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 28/06/09 15:44, Plum wrote:
In order to get the best out of the broad beans nitrogen fixing for the
soil, when they are finished, do I : a) pull up and chuck, b) cut
down and leave roots in soil; or c) leave whole plant even when
throroughly dead and unsightly? Anyone know? Ta for replies.

On the allotment here, most people will cut the tops off above soil
level leaving the roots in the ground to provide nitrogen for the
following crop (e.g. brassicas) next season.

The cut tops can be broken into smaller chunks and added to the compost
heap.

Ed