Broad beans
 

Hi,

New to this NG and also gardening.

The house we have moved to has an abandoned vegetable patch which I have
double dug twice (previous owner told me there was buried treasure - and I
believed him) and have dug in household compost and good quantity of rotten
stable manure.
Currently the plot has green manure, mustard etc., growing.

We would like to grow some early broad beans and are seeking advice as to
what varieties and when to sow etc.
Apart from a catch crop (next Spring ?) we would like to crop at regular
intervals.

Any thoughts and advice would be appreciated.

Thank you in advance,

LenBo, Weston-Souppppppper-Mare, Summmmmmmmerset.

In article , St. George
writes
Hi,

New to this NG and also gardening.

The house we have moved to has an abandoned vegetable patch which I have
double dug twice (previous owner told me there was buried treasure - and I
believed him) and have dug in household compost and good quantity of rotten
stable manure.
Currently the plot has green manure, mustard etc., growing.

We would like to grow some early broad beans and are seeking advice as to
what varieties and when to sow etc.
Apart from a catch crop (next Spring ?) we would like to crop at regular
intervals.

Aquadulce Claudia have long been a popular overwintering Broad Bean
which are now being offered in the improved form of Super Aquadulce.
Imperial Green Longpod too are also suited to autumn sowing. There may
be just enough time to sow these varieties now depending on your region,
or they could be begun under cloches from mid-February. A good spring
sown variety to follow on with could be Green Windsor or if you'd like
to try a lower growing bush variety, The Sutton can give good results.

All can be ordered online from: www.OrganicCatalogue.com
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

"St. George" St. wrote in message
...
Hi,
We would like to grow some early broad beans and are seeking advice as to
what varieties and when to sow etc.
Apart from a catch crop (next Spring ?) we would like to crop at regular
intervals.

We grow Aquadulce overwinter and Sutton. Both give good crops, but we always
seem to get mich better yields from Sutton. (Possibly due to the fact we are
in windy West Wales and Sutton is only half the height of Aquadulce)

"St. George" St. wrote in message
...
Hi,

New to this NG and also gardening.

The house we have moved to has an abandoned vegetable patch which I have
double dug twice (previous owner told me there was buried treasure - and I
believed him) and have dug in household compost and good quantity of
rotten
stable manure.
Currently the plot has green manure, mustard etc., growing.

We would like to grow some early broad beans and are seeking advice as to
what varieties and when to sow etc.
Apart from a catch crop (next Spring ?) we would like to crop at regular
intervals.

Any thoughts and advice would be appreciated.

As others have said, Aquadulce is a good autmn sown broad bean.

And as I have mentioned here before, The advice I was first given is that
"bonfire night is beans night", ie you don't sow them before Nov 5th, or
they're likely to put on too much growth too early, and be frost vulnerable.

Mind you, we're on the south coast, it may be different for your area.

Incidentally, since you're new to it, the area you're in, and the type of
soil you have is always useful info to include when asking a question.

Enjoy yr broad beans.

Steve

On Sun, 3 Oct 2004 02:26:03 +0100, "St. George" St.
wrote:

Hi,

New to this NG and also gardening.

The house we have moved to has an abandoned vegetable patch which I have
double dug twice (previous owner told me there was buried treasure - and I
believed him) and have dug in household compost and good quantity of rotten
stable manure.
Currently the plot has green manure, mustard etc., growing.

We would like to grow some early broad beans and are seeking advice as to
what varieties and when to sow etc.
Apart from a catch crop (next Spring ?) we would like to crop at regular
intervals.

Any thoughts and advice would be appreciated.

Thank you in advance,

LenBo, Weston-Souppppppper-Mare, Summmmmmmmerset.


We had success with The Sutton last year. We planted them late
Sept/early Oct (round about now really) both in the earth and in a big
pot. Both sorts grew to a couple of inches before the winter and stayed
like that until the spring. The potted ones were slightly better and did
better against the blackfly and slugs that we had a glut of this year.

I planted The Sutton again last weekend. I'm on acidic soil about an
hour away from where you are. The other thing about broad beans is to
leave the plants in as long as you can after you've eaten the beans -
cos they're good for the soil.

Liz

In article , FF
writes


I planted The Sutton again last weekend. I'm on acidic soil about an
hour away from where you are. The other thing about broad beans is to
leave the plants in as long as you can after you've eaten the beans -
cos they're good for the soil.

More specifically, nodules on the roots 'fix' loose nitrogen. When I
clear them, I usually break the tops off and leave the roots behind -
though thinking about it, this probably doesn't work as all the 'fixed'
nitrogen will have been passed to the leaves. But I compost them anyway,
so I still benefit.

It's part of the basis of crop rotation. Most plants can't fix nitrogen
in this way, so you plant the legumes (beans and peas) when the level of
nitrogen has been decreased by hungry crops, and plant a nitrogen liking
crop the following year.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

In article , St.
(St. George) wrote:

We would like to grow some early broad beans and are seeking advice
as to what varieties and when to sow etc.

Novelty: "Red Epicure" variety. Sark red beans that go yellow on
cooking. Good flavour.

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com
A useful bit of gardening software at http://www.netservs.com/garden/

On Sun, 3 Oct 2004 18:58:17 +0100, Kay wrote:

It's part of the basis of crop rotation. Most plants can't fix nitrogen
in this way, so you plant the legumes (beans and peas) when the level of
nitrogen has been decreased by hungry crops, and plant a nitrogen liking
crop the following year.

So what should I plant where my beans were this year? :-)

Liz

"shazzbat" wrote in message ...

Incidentally, since you're new to it, the area you're in, and the type of
soil you have is always useful info to include when asking a question.

Enjoy yr broad beans.

Steve

I will take your offer. I am in Michigan, where minimum temps in the
winter go to -20C (-2F). We have already had a killing frost (goodbye,
tomatoes) but usually it will not frost again until november. I have a
packet of Aquadulce and I am considering planting it under tunnels
more or less now. I can plant it in

- compost beds, part sun, or in
- newly made beds, Sahara sandy soil that will be amended with 3
inches of manure and some clay, full sun.

Under the tunnels the temperature is typically 10C above outside. Can
I expect them to grow if I plant them now, and be ready by June? I
know that broad beans love clay and also love sun, so I wonder if they
will do better in sand and sun or a richer soil and part sun. Some
irrigation under the tunnels will be possible. Any advice whether it
is possible will be welcome.

"simy1" wrote in message
om...
"shazzbat" wrote in message
...

Incidentally, since you're new to it, the area you're in, and the type
of
soil you have is always useful info to include when asking a question.

Enjoy yr broad beans.

Steve

I will take your offer. I am in Michigan, where minimum temps in the
winter go to -20C (-2F). We have already had a killing frost (goodbye,
tomatoes) but usually it will not frost again until november. I have a
packet of Aquadulce and I am considering planting it under tunnels
more or less now. I can plant it in

- compost beds, part sun, or in
- newly made beds, Sahara sandy soil that will be amended with 3
inches of manure and some clay, full sun.

Under the tunnels the temperature is typically 10C above outside. Can
I expect them to grow if I plant them now, and be ready by June? I
know that broad beans love clay and also love sun, so I wonder if they
will do better in sand and sun or a richer soil and part sun. Some
irrigation under the tunnels will be possible. Any advice whether it
is possible will be welcome.

Well, I don't have any experience of temperatures so low. (and I intend to
keep it that way). I don't know whether water would become available to the
roots in these conditions, how deep does it freeze?

I would sow under the tunnel in somewhat richer soil, and hopefully some
sun. If you have the space, sow some in 3 or 4 different conditions, and see
which group does best. Then next year you'll know. Gardening is not a
precise science, and there is always the unexpected. Mulching with straw or
newspaper etc, may be valuable.

Let us know how you get on?


Steve

"shazzbat" wrote in message ...

Well, I don't have any experience of temperatures so low. (and I intend to
keep it that way). I don't know whether water would become available to the
roots in these conditions, how deep does it freeze?

it does not freeze really. The soil may freeze for a day or two, down
a couple of inches, but as soon as there is sun, the greenhouse effect
melts the soil again. the temperature of the air may get down to -10C,
perhaps -12C. All chicories, collard, kale planted in spring/summer,
and lettuce planted in september, easily take those temperatures and
start becoming available for eating in late march. Arugula and garlic
shoots are available for omelettes as early as late february. Favas
are in the same cold tolerance league, I am just wondering if they
will take it, when planted in october, because they will be less
established than the other plants.

I would sow under the tunnel in somewhat richer soil, and hopefully some
sun. If you have the space, sow some in 3 or 4 different conditions, and see
which group does best. Then next year you'll know. Gardening is not a
precise science, and there is always the unexpected. Mulching with straw or
newspaper etc, may be valuable.

Let us know how you get on?

I will try a few here and a few there and see how it goes. I will
plant them this weekend.



Steve