Grow Your Own Magazine

Having for the last 3 years limited my bored beans to Aquadulce Claudia for growing over winter and having an ok crop of ok beans I have tried a new variety this year on the recommendation of a fiend

The variety is "Witkem Vroma"

The yield is huge with the beans being sweet enough to use raw in salads when young or more traditionally when more mature. As an added bonus they are virtually untouched by blackfly and the 60 plants that went out in April will give me fresh beans for a few more weeks and lots to freeze for the winter.

It has gone onto my "Gold standard" list, against which any other variety that I grow is judged.

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Kindest regards, David.

http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/
updated - Sunday 19th at 2100hrs

Thanks for that, PW! As a newbie I have a sowing of aguadulce bored beans on the go, and I am enjoying them very much indeed!

We've been lucky with not much blackfly (read: have obsessively picked out anything which looked even remotely infested!) anyway, but assuming I can't cadge some crimson flowered ones for next year from NTG , I'll be trying the Witkem Vrona.

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Hazel
www.hazelandjanesallotment.blogspot.com
update Sat 15/11/2008......there's gold in them thar...compost bins!......

Yes PW, thanks. Did you autumn plant them?

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Advertising is the rattling of a stick in a swill bucket. George Orwell
Paul

No Paul, sown in mid March, planted out at the end of April and I started harvesting them this week.

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Kindest regards, David.

http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/
updated - Sunday 19th at 2100hrs

Where did you get the seeds from Piglet? Were they easy to find?

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May all our seeds germinate and grow

Helen

A recommendation from a fellow grower is worth vastly more than the advertising 'glow' of the producer - well, they would say that, wouldn't they! thanks for the tip.

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Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

www.vegheaven.blogspot.com

Updated November 17th - The Big Dig

I am growing Aqua D this year, still no black fly....yet! I am sure the will come.
I will try your Witkem next year! thanks for the tip PW
cheers!

Well I've had the worst crop ever of broad beans - probably 20 pods from 12 plants. Apparently nothing to do with the variety as others grow them quite successfully (so I won't mention it!).

I'm considering all offers of foolproof varieties, so thanks for the recommendation PW.

By the way, if you are Googling for this variety, PW's spelling needs a tweak

WITKIEM VROMA

It seems to be readily available from seed suppliers. There are a few varieties of Witkiem's, so remember to look for the whole name.

My Aqua D's are only just beginning to produce beans so I have a way to go yet before I know what they taste like, but I shall definitely try W Vroma next year - as Flummery says, a recommendation like that is worth far more than some marketing gumph! Thanks PW! Does anyone know whether they can be autumn sown to get ahead, or whether it really isnt worth it?

I am curious also about where you purchased them....

Fothergils have them advertised

Right at the bottom of the page, DD - quite expense delivery charges to the US, though.

http://fothergills.co.uk/en/broad-beans.aspx

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Hazel
www.hazelandjanesallotment.blogspot.com
update Sat 15/11/2008......there's gold in them thar...compost bins!......

Having grown the autumn varieties before and finding that after the weather has kicked them about, the pigeons have had a go the little bit of "earliness" gained isnt worth the work and now only spring plant.

I will be harvesting some more tommorow and will take a couple of piccies so you can see how well they crop and how good the growth is.

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Kindest regards, David.

http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/
updated - Sunday 19th at 2100hrs

thanks piglet i shall try to get that variety for next season my aqua d are rubbish this year loads of blackfly the grove grower

Fair play PW i had a shed load off my Aqua Beans . I only planted them as a
Green Manure but was well surprized on how well they did . But i like the look
of the beans you have grown .

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The force is strong in this one!

I see from the Gold Standard thread that Sewer Rat is growing a Witkeim type too. Must put one of these on my 'hit list'. Incidentally, the Bunyard's Exhibition in my avatar photo are now big enough to obscure me completely - maybe it's time for a new photo?

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Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson

www.vegheaven.blogspot.com

Updated November 17th - The Big Dig

Thanks PW for this, I may well try them next time.

I am growing Giant Exhibition Longpod BB and although some of the plants have a huge amount of pods, others have not really done very well at all, and maybe only showing 5-6 pods.

I picked one the other day and tried while on the allotment and it wasn't as sweet as I would have liked. I've a feeling if I let them grow to full size they may be bitter so will pick all early.

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An onion can make people cry but there's never been a vegetable that can make people laugh.
Will Rogers

I prefer the green seeded broad bean varieties.

Imperial/Masterpiece Green Longpod are my favourites.

Picked when very young, they are wonderful.

valmarg

Really intested in these, but only two suppliers pop up on Google: Fothergill who are out of stock, and Elsoms who supply trade not me

You wouldn't have 3 seeds to spare would you Piglet? I could swap for some French bean seeds, got several heritage varieties

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~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi