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Broad bean disaster the same every year

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  • Broad bean disaster the same every year

    Hello, I have just joined this forum and would like some insight into what may be happening to my aside bed garden grown broad beans. I grow Sutton and bunyons. Every year they grow healthy with tons of flowers. I keep them well watered when podding and plenty of bumble bees have been pollinating them.

    Firstly I noticed early on in growth that the very tops of the leaves have pinprick small oval shaped holes with no sign of any pest on them. Later most of the flowers just fall off leaving one or two decent pods on one of the plants. The rest just go twisted, dark and pathetically small. Also, the tops of the leaves have larger holes than before. I have no blackfly on them and cannot understand why this is happening. The last gardening forum I was contributing did not know what this was so I thought I would try people here who have perhaps more experience and knowledge.

    Here are some photos including before they went downhill.













  • #2
    Not sure Marb. You must be very frustrated

    Somebody that knows more about beans than me will be along shortly though
    Quanti canicula ille in fenestra ?

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    • #3
      It could be Thrips they make those sorts of holes.
      Location....East Midlands.

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      • #4
        I don't think insects are responsible for the lack of beans. The leaf damage isn't bad enough to cause that.

        Whereabouts are you, what sort of soil are they growing in, and do they get full sunlight?

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        • #5
          Thrips seem the culprit for leaf damage. I found one that was just biting into my arm. A bit like a miniature grasshopper.

          I am in Cheshire. Soil is pretty good. Never tested ph but this seems too severe a problem for ph. I get the same leaf damage on potatoes grown next to them. They get reasonable sunlight but it is a walled small back garden. As they are tall they hit the sun earlier than it lands on the bed. If the soil was bad the plants wouldn't be so healthy for the first few weeks (see 2nd pic of when healthy) and so many flowers.

          Frustrated ? yes, very. Especially when B beans are supposed to be the easiest thing to grow. I have never had a decent crop in around 7 years of growing them. A lot of my plants in the garden get twisted, bubbling and distorted leaves. I really don't get why this happens. I am 100&% organic and don't use pesticides.
          Last edited by Marb67; 21-07-2013, 06:31 PM.

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          • #6
            Do you use manure Marb?

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            • #7
              I used some once about 4 years ago from a local riding school down the lane.

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              • #8
                Just wondering whether it could have been contaminated when you mentioned that "A lot of my plants in the garden get twisted, bubbling and distorted leaves".

                Have you heard of Aminopyralid?

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                • #9
                  No, to heard of that. Just looked it up. It says it affects toms and spuds but mine are growing well in the soil. I think this has been happening before I put manure in.
                  Last edited by Marb67; 21-07-2013, 08:23 PM.

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                  • #10
                    My first thoughts was contaminated manure too.

                    Try growing in a different location - you can sow hardy broad beans in oct/niv depending where you are.

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by chris View Post
                      My first thoughts was contaminated manure too.

                      Try growing in a different location - you can sow hardy broad beans in oct/niv depending where you are.
                      I have moved the soil around as I keep changing the design because the garden is so small so it's probably all over. Interestingly, the plants grown in compost in pots get the leaves distorting too. Never sown b beans in autumn but will give it a go as I have greenhouse but. I fear the same will happen once the pests get going in the spring next year.

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                      • #12
                        Could you try contacting the RHS at Wisley? Just their thing I would have thought.

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                        • #13
                          I did email gardeners question time but so far not heard back. I could contact rhs though if they would be interested. There is a farm about half a mile away. Could that be affecting my plants ? Then again, if that were the case all my plants would be hit which they are not. Peas, toms, runner beans, broccoli, courgettes, and more all do ok.

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                          • #14
                            Lack of pods: I'm wondering if you're sowing them too late in the year? Broad beans like cool weather ~ they are very happy to sit in the garden in late autumn, over winter and in early spring when it's too cold for anything else.

                            Mine tend to die off when it warms up.

                            They're only doing so well this year because of the extended winter (extended into June, in my part of the UK).
                            All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Marb67 View Post
                              the very tops of the leaves have pinprick small oval shaped holes ... the tops of the leaves have larger holes
                              Do you protect against snails? Any plant with holes in it says 'snails' to me, before anything else. They don't necessarily leave a slime trail, and you might never see them, esp if your days are hot & dry. And pellets don't always work either.

                              Try going outside at night when it's cool, with a torch, and see how many you can find.

                              They don't make pinprick holes, but they would certainly dine out on B.Beans, esp if the foliage is lush & green like how yours look.

                              Incidentally, autumn-sown broadies are much tougher and more resistant to pest like snails & blackfly, because there's less juicy sap in the leaves.
                              All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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