Broad beans - what went wrong?

twiglet98

Last year I had a couple of broad beans sown accidentally with runners, and they were very successful. I'm the only one in the family to like them and I still have a few in the freezer.

This year I put seeds of The Sutton, described as 'low-growing', in cell trays, only 12 germinated and I put them in a double row about a metre long, with canes in each corner and two lines of twine around the outside for support. They are on the north side of a raised bed with sweetcorn along the middle and lettuces the other side, a big clump of lemon balm outside the bed to the east and a big potted raspberry to the west.

They grew well and flowered, but I've had only about 15 pods in total, all with only one or two beans inside. The plants are covered in black blotches and seem to be dying. I picked the last three pods today and one of them has black blotches too. I cooked the beans (with other veg in the pan) and on peeling them, the beans inside are cream-coloured and floury instead of bright green beans.

Is this over- or under-watering? I use a hose a few times most weeks, more in hot weather but it's rained most days lately.

I fed Miracle-Gro blue granules from a watering can each week since flowering - could this cause blotches from touching the foliage? I can't see how to avoid this happening.

Could it be a disease, or insect damage?

Or were they in the wrong location, not enough sun?

My french beans and sugar-snaps are on wigwams in huge terracotta pots a few feet from this bed and there is no discolouration on them, though the yields have been terribly low.

Advice for next season would be much appreciated! I'd love a glut of beans to equal the wretched courgettes that are growing like triffids in the other bed.

Lotus-eater

Chocolate spot
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?PID=89

I would also say, they need alot more sun than a north side of sweetcorn spot. If your soil is in good heart, they don't need feeding and don't water too much, but your soil should be good and moisture retentive.

Zazen999

Broadies don't seem to like the summer too much.

I sow in Sept, plant out in Oct and pretty much leave them to it until the spring. This year they were later than usual due to the long cold winter but with broadies, they do what they do when they want to do it.

markandkate

My broad beans were rubbish this year too I sometimes think that it is whether the climate suits or not. I plants some wonderful plants and had about 3 pods. Usually they grow like weeds and I do Ok and have plenty to freeze but his year not.

I have also planted peas about five times and not one plant have I had but i have still got peas in the freezer from last year!

Farway

I also grew the Sutton, big failure here as well, and they had plenty of sun & water

I note the variety can be sown Sept to overwinter, as Zazen999 says, I will try this for 2011 crop

twiglet98

Farway wrote: »

I also grew the Sutton, big failure here as well, and they had plenty of sun & water

I note the variety can be sown Sept to overwinter, as Zazen999 says, I will try this for 2011 crop

Thanks, that sounds worth trying. I'm quite new to growing food and haven't yet sown anything in autumn, I started with seeds at the beginning of March. I'll jig things around next year so they're in a different spot and maybe try another variety.

My neighbour has given me armfuls of runner beans in exchange for eggs so I'll have plenty of those in the freezer at least!

Principia_2

Zazen999 wrote: »

Broadies don't seem to like the summer too much.

I sow in Sept, plant out in Oct and pretty much leave them to it until the spring. This year they were later than usual due to the long cold winter but with broadies, they do what they do when they want to do it.

Hi Zazen - do the broadbeans stay dormant over winter, or die back? When can you harvest them?

My french beans are nearly over and I'd love to slot in a broad bean harvest before next years sowing of french beans - if that is possible