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This is my first year on an allotment so still very much the novice really. I had a good crop of broad beans and after harvesting cut them down to ground level as recommended rather than pulling up the roots (something to do with nitrogen levels?). The plants seem to be growing again from the root - they're about 15 inches high, look healthy and even have flowers. Is this normal and will I get a second crop if I protect them now or will it be a waste of time and I would be better sowing new seed? It can get pretty cold up here in the north east so how hardy are they likely to be? I'd be grateful for any advice.
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I could well be wrong but I wouldn't have thought you'd get much of a crop from them. Although broadbeans are hardy plants I don't think any young beans that might form would survive the winter. Any flowers that are on the plants now probably wouldn't get polinated because there aren't many polinating insects arround at this time of year.
You can sow some broadbeans in November though. Aquadulce are the ones usually reccomended for Autumn sowing. They will come up a few inches and then just sit there until spring when they will start to grow again. You should have broadbeans about a month before the spring ones are ready.It is the doom of man, that they forget. -
How about giving them another haircut? You may just get away with it! (based on a suggestion made by a very wise grape
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Last edited by Jeanied; 26-10-2009, 04:47 PM.Whooops - now what are the dogs getting up to?Comment
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I'd trim to about 4 inches and leave them be - and sow some fresh.
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I have some about a foot high and flowering too (I always miss a couple): I'll leave them alone to feed any lingering bees, but fully expect them to get blackened by frost as they usually doAll gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.Comment
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I tried for a second crop from sideshoots in the summer - looked lovely but never did come to anything much. As Ts says you can leave them for the bees and other insects, but don't expect a crop from them.Comment
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For the last three seasons, I have grown spring sown Witkiem Manita and for the last three seasons I have always got a second picking - in fact I picked about 12kg last Friday morning for my boxes and these were all second picking beans. It may be that certain varieties which are faster maturing ( I know Witkiem Mnaita is quick to mature in the first place) will have a better chance of yielding a second picking.Originally posted by northmaid View Post
The beans that gave me the second picking were NOT cut down, whereas the same variety in one of my walled gardens which had the beans cut down produced a second crop of flowers but no beans were ever produced. Same seed, same sowing regime - the only difference was the cutting down of the stems.Rat
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