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When do I need to pinch out broad beans to avoid blackfly?

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  • #1

    When do I need to pinch out broad beans to avoid blackfly?

    Ok this is the first year I've grown broadbeans, as I have always been very put off by this talk of pinching out. However I have now taken the plunge ;-) and have a dozen plants waiting to go in and more in the greenhouse. The ones going in today are around 10 cm high and very sturdy looking and have been living in the back garden for about 2 weeks.

    So. Do I pinch out today when I plant them out? Do I wait til they are a certain height? Or do I wait til there is evidence of some flowers?

    Any more information on how to go about this alarming pinching out business would be gratefully recieved. How much do I pinch out? And can I cook whatever I pinch out?

    TIA
    Last edited by Edith; 19-03-2011, 10:17 AM.
    Tags: None
  • #2
    I've never pinched mine out as I have never had blackfly on mine....if i did I'd get a few ladybirds and place them next to the plant before I pinched anything out.

    Whereabouts are you - it will help if you pop a location into your profile.

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    • #3
      I've never pinched out too, but generally speaking you don't get the blackfly infestations till the beans are well set. You know it they are there, so pinch out. If you can't see any, leave them. Good luck. They are a lovely crop in my opinion.
      Whoever plants a garden believes in the future.

      www.vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated March 9th - Spring

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      • #4
        Yep, you pinch off the tops when you see blackfly ... and you probably won't want to eat them then, but you could
        Last edited by Two_Sheds; 19-03-2011, 05:51 PM.
        All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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        • #5
          Or you can wait till you have a good few pods set on the lower part of the plant - and then just take the growing tip out above the pods. Make sure there are leaves above the top pod though - blackfly usually only appear in much warmer weather.
          Whooops - now what are the dogs getting up to?

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          • #6
            I pinch the tops out and eat them in a omelet.
            Location....East Midlands.

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            • #7
              I pinch out the tops when they get a good height and the first tiny pods appear after the first flowers and you avoid the blackfly. Twelve plants will give you a certain amount but you have to plant a high number to get a decent yield. I have 2 double rows with 25 plants in each row - so 100 plants.
              Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better...Albert Einstein

              Blog - @Twotheridge: For The Record - Sowing and Growing with a Virgin Veg Grower: Spring Has Now Sprung...Boing! http://vvgsowingandgrowing2012.blogs....html?spref=tw

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              • #8
                I don't quite understand why you're so worried about "pinching out", is it the phrase or the physical act of pinching....? Once the plant appears fully grown (height varies, say 3' ish) and beginning to set flowers etc just take off the top growth (couple of inches) and if you don't like the idea of doing that with your hands use secateurs or even scissors, it's very soft growth. I don't eat the tops but I suppose you could.... but then I don't eat the beans either (but I suppose you could )
                .

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                • #9
                  I wonder if you question is because there are two types of pinching out (at least ...):

                  Some plants need pinching out when they are quite small - that is to make them bush out - you take out the central growing tip, and that makes side branches start to grow. You might (but I don't!) do this for Chillies and Sweet Peppers, for example.

                  Broad Beans are a different issue. Blackfly love to congregate on the growing tips (I have no idea why Broad Beans particularly). They then build up a colony and spread to other things. So to either prevent this, or to "cure" it, you pinch out the tips of Broad Beans when the blackfly are starting to breed. By that time the broad bean plants are already fully grown

                  So please don't pinch-out your Broad Beans yet
                  K's Garden blog the story of the creation of our garden

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                  • #10
                    Have got a bit carried away with my broad beans , have planted about 40 plants and pinched tops off early so they got more early shoots at the bottom and stems got nice and thick. My question is , can I grow up bamboo cane wigwams when I plant out , and do they grow too high for the length of a bamboo cane? Have a wall to grow stuff up , but just realised that I have runner beans,mange tout and later cucumbers as well as broad beans that all need support and to climb? Also can I mix up the beans , mange tout and broad beans on the canes or is that a bad idea?

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by skell43 View Post
                      Have got a bit carried away with my broad beans , have planted about 40 plants and pinched tops off early so they got more early shoots at the bottom and stems got nice and thick. My question is , can I grow up bamboo cane wigwams when I plant out , and do they grow too high for the length of a bamboo cane? Have a wall to grow stuff up , but just realised that I have runner beans,mange tout and later cucumbers as well as broad beans that all need support and to climb? Also can I mix up the beans , mange tout and broad beans on the canes or is that a bad idea?
                      Broad beans generally get to about 3 or 4 feet high, and they have no way of clinging to canes. Runner beans twine round the canes as they grow so they would be fine on a wigwam. As to whether any of these get too tall for a cane support, it depends on the length of the canes. You need 7 foot canes for runners.

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by skell43 View Post
                        Have got a bit carried away with my broad beans , have planted about 40 plants and pinched tops off early so they got more early shoots at the bottom and stems got nice and thick. My question is , can I grow up bamboo cane wigwams when I plant out , and do they grow too high for the length of a bamboo cane?
                        They don't need support, except that the wind may blow them over. I just put a cane at each corner and stretch a string around the lot so that they can't lean over far enough to fall over in the wind
                        K's Garden blog the story of the creation of our garden

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                        • #13
                          Thanks for the tips kristen and rustylady, had them individually attached to single canes last year and had a disappointing crop! Will put a cane at each corner and get the string out. You really do need to check what you are doing every step of the way in veg growing,especially from seed. Its a real learning process, and it's really nice of you seasoned veg experts to keep taking the time to reply,you must get asked the same questions every year!

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Kristen View Post
                            Blackfly love to congregate on the growing tips (I have no idea why Broad Beans particularly).
                            Aphids are apparently particular to each plant (eg the blackfly is really the black bean aphid... they like runners too of course, but also nasturtium ...? Which isn't a bean...? )

                            Originally posted by skell43 View Post
                            You really do need to check what you are doing every step of the way in veg growing
                            Yeah, the goalposts move all the time in gardening
                            We do get asked the same questions over and over again, but if people are polite and remember their peas and queues we don't mind. I do get really very irritated by people who demand this and that as if the forum exists to serve them: we're all volunteers, we don't get any kind of remuneration
                            Last edited by Two_Sheds; 21-03-2011, 06:54 PM.
                            All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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                            • #15
                              Really appreciate the advice , i can always surf the net or check out sites like RHS , but you can't beat advice from the veg experts who have tried different things over the years and are happy to take time to post. Keep asking all my older neighbours for advice too as growing veg is a great way to relate to people, can't believe what little interest I have now in growing anything you can't eat,all my flower pots had tomato plants in them last year and beans growing through the jasmine and clematis!!! Thanks again.

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