Leggy Beans

[Maf]

Newbe to Broad Bean Aquadulce Claudia planted on a bright windowsill in early Februrary.

I'm sure I remember BB seedlings being stocky with quite tough bluey green leaves.

My Claudias look more like big leafed peas. Light green with leaves every inch and a half.

Any ideas ?

[shirlthegirl43]

I think they would have been okay outdoors - that would have made them grow a bit slower and more stocky.

[Alison]

I'm not growing them this year, but last year, I sowed some directly into the ground, outside, with no protection, about this time of year and they came up great guns with no problems.

[Cutecumber]

Yep, I'm afraid they're not happy about being warm and they don't have enough light.

They are fully hardy and should be sown and grown outside, allbeit with a little shelter if necessary.

Try and harden them off and get them outside asap.

[Flummery]

Mine are in the cold frame and are short and stocky. Treat them hard!

[Cutecumber]

of course, I have to admit that mine have been in the cold frame... and arE pretty much dead.

We've had a cold winter (at night)

[Maf]

Mice eat my outdoor sowings.

Theyre in a unheated room. Not a variety issue then ?

[roitelet]

of course, I have to admit that mine have been in the cold frame... and arE pretty much dead.

We've had a cold winter (at night)

Leave them alone and with any luck they will send up other shoots from the bottom if it only the tops that have suffered.

[moggssue]

Sorry to jump in here folks - but can broadies be sown into guttering in a cold frame now (I'm doing my peas at the weekend and thought I might try a few broadies as well?!) ??

[Flummery]

You can certainly sow now Sue - I put mine into modules but I can't see why guttering wouldn't work. The reason I use modules is so I can plant them out in blocks but you would simpley get a single row in guttering. Shouldn't be a problem.

[rustylady]

They really don't need to be indoors. I'm lucky as I have a cold greenhouse so I start mine in there. Not too warm and plenty of light.

[Maf]

Well I've re-sown outside in the cold frame.

I've butchered (pinched out) my old plants at various leaf nodes and will report back when they die or fail to crop

[muckdiva]

All of mine got eaten by mice as well Maf. I've re-sown indoors, but will put them outside just as soon as they have opened their first set of leaves.

[gojiberry]

Have some nice plant in flower on the lottie sown last Sept/Oct. Ive tried to get a batch germinated in the last couple of weeks but they just dont want to know. I may be using to much heat so will try a third lot just in cold greenhouse. Could also be the seed. Just hope a few bees appear to pollenate the ones in flower.
Ian

[Maf]

I did a test.

Sowed in peat pots

2 Outdoors
2 On windowsill
2 In heated propagator

Heated propagator failed completely
Windowsill and outdoors germinated at the same time but indoors was leggy