In some cases, where there is no insect activity, the stigma will ripen and spring open as a result of wind movement. Sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn't which explains why poor pollination can occur. Some bees have become lazy in recent years and instead of entering the flower from the front to get at the nectar, they drill a small hole at the base of the flower and get the nectar from there.
This type of bee activity is not so efficient as far as pollination is concerned. Another problem with broad bean pollination is that different varieties will easily pollinate each other if insects are allowed to go between the varieties.
This will often result in pods which are not true to type. Many beginners who have not grown broad beans before have asked the question, "does a broad bean plant produce ore than one picking of the crop throughout the year? The answer is they only produce one picking each year however not all the beans on a broad bean plant mature at the same time. They ripen earliest at the bottom of the plant. The amount of pods each pod contains 8 to 10 beans per plant is very variable depending on the variety but around 15 to 20 pods is a an average amount.
When your broad beans have finished cropping they can be dug up and placed on the compost heap. In their place there is still time to sow some lettuce, radish and beetroots. The beetroot may not grow to full size but they are delicious when harvested young. As a guide broad beans should be ready for harvest around the second week of June although this will depend on when the seeds were sown and the weather conditions.
Autumn sown seeds will tend to be ready a couple of weeks earlier compared to spring sown seeds. Broad beans ready for harvest. To harvest the beans, twist the pod and gently pull the stem until it is removed from the plant. This can be a bit tricky some times because the stem holding the beans to the main stem can be quite tough. Don't pull too hard, it can pull the plant out of the ground.
If the stems are tough then a small pair of scissors is a very good alternative. One trick which significantly reduces the need for constant watering is to place a layer of small stones or wood chip on the surface of the soil in the container. This works very well, far better than you might expect.
If the beans are not totally dry and hard, wait another week before testing with another pod again. Warm and dry weather speeds up the process whereas cold and wet weather slows it down. Err on the side of leaving the beans for a longer rather than shorter time - as long as the weather is not very wet they will remain viable on the plant for quite some time. As with all seeds, do not bother saving seeds from F1 varieties of plants, they will not come true to type and are likely to be a very poor second to the original plant.
If you want to know more about F1 seeds, click here. Be aware that broad beans will very easily cross-pollinate with other varieties of broad beans resulting in a plant the next year which may well be a cross between two varieties. Cross pollination will occur the nearer the two varieties are to each other. This is not normally a problem for the average gardener. Correct storage of the seeds is essential but easy.
Place them in a paper bag such as an envelope and put them in a place which will be dry, dark and cool. Stored seeds do not appreciate being stored in conditions where there are large temperature variations. If aphids do attack then follow our advice in our page on aphids. They tend to leave notches in the edges of the leaves.
They can severely damage young broad bean plants but larger plants can normally outgrow them. See our page on vine weevil which is almost the same pest and the advice given applies to both. Blackened tips or edges to the leaves is, in most cases caused by frost damage.
Plants started off indoors and then planted out or into an unheated greenhouse too early without hardening them off are the most vulnerable. Normally they will grow through the damage when the weather warms up. There is some doubt as to whether broad beans benefit much from crop rotation. We discuss this in detail on our crop rotation page which can be found here. However, because you have the cloches in place I would leave them in place and do exactly as you have done, remove the ends for ventilation.
When they get to the height where they actually touch the top of the cloches sounds like that will be soon , I would remove the cloches. A frost down to -3C will not damage broad beans or peas which have been hardened off. Below that, down to about -5C they will survive with the possibility of some frost damage. But they will recover. By keeping the ends open for a week or so, you have effectively hardened the plants off.
The problem with the plants touching the top of the cloche is that damp and moisture may accumulate on the upper leaves increasing the risk of fungal diseases. Be aware of the danger of too much heat as well as a frost. March can be warm some years and peas and broad beans can suffer under cover on warm days. Better a moderate frost with no cloche protection compared to a few very warm days with cloche protection. I definitely would not fleece them. That will trap in moisture which will encourage diseases.
If they have survived this far you have every chance of a healthy crop. I would remove the roots for two reasons. First, although they do fix nitrogen, the plants use that nitrogen and there is almost nothing left when the plant has produced beans. It's a gardeners myth that the roots add nitrogen to the soil. Second, I'm not sure at this moment if rust overwinters in the soil. I wouldn't take the chance and I would burn them, don't put them on the compost heap. Try sowing beetroot after harvest and expect tender small beets before winter.
Radish will also grow in the same space. They are a spring to early summer crop. If you have no more use for the space they occupying then I would cut away the old stems and leave them to rot in the ground. You could also dig them up and put them on a compost heap if you have one. I dig them up and if the plants are healthy chuck them on the compost heap. One reason is that they grow earlier in the year compared to many crops and the sun is not very strong initially. However, the bean "family" of vegetables, including the broad bean, are the least likely to suffer if you don't rotate them.
It can cause loss of flowers and therefore beans and can cause the whole plant to collapse. There is no chemical control available so try to maximise air flow around plants, remove any weeds, and bin or burn any infected material — do not add to the compost heap.
Do not save or store seed from infected plants. Long, slender pods and white beans Height x Spread: 1m x 45cm. Can be grown in the ground or in a container H x S: 90cm x 45cm.
This charming hardy climber creates a canopy of glossy green foliage, which in summer is strewn with flat white panicles of flowers on long stems. Add colour to your garden this winter, select from pansy 'Colourburst', 'Grande Fragrance', wallflower 'Wizard' and viola 'Valentino'.
A superb evergreen bearing delicate, waxy, bell-shaped flowers in the depths of winter, with lush green foliage for year-round interest. Home How to Grow plants How to grow broad beans. Average Yield 3kg per 3m row Spacing 20cm apart 60cm between rows Depth 5cm. How to grow broad beans — planting out broad bean plants. How to grow broad beans — broad bean plants in flower. How to grow broad beans — harvesting broad beans.
How to grow broad beans — broad beans fresh from the pod. How to grow broad beans — blackfly on broad beans. Subscribe now. Buy now for spring flowers. Double up for 1P more. Broad bean seeds should be planted at a depth of 5cm 2" deep and a distance of 23cm 9" apart within each row.
Water well once planted. Germination usually takes around 10 days. Lay out as many sets of double rows as you need, but remember to allow at least 60cm 24" between each set to make it easier to access and harvest your crops. If you prefer to start your broad bean plants in the greenhouse, they can be sown into module trays or small pots.
Germination tends to be more reliable under greenhouse conditions and it's easier to control pests such as mice, slugs and snails. If the soil is frozen outdoors then sowing in the greenhouse is a far better option. Your broad beans can be planted out once the soil is warmer and the plants have developed a good root system.
Don't forget to 'harden them off' and acclimatise them to outdoor conditions prior to planting. Broad beans can easily be grown in containers. Dwarf varieties such as Broad Bean 'The Sutton' are ideal for growing on the patio. They have deep root systems so choose a tall container to accommodate them, and be sure to keep them well watered throughout the growing season.
Broad beans can be harvested and cooked as entire pods while they're still immature, at around 7. However, they're more usually harvested a little later, when the pods are well filled and the seed still soft.
The scar on the edge of each bean should be green or white in colour. If it's black, the beans have passed their best and will be tough and chewy when eaten. Bumper crop? Broad beans are ideal for freezing.
Simply pick, shell and pop them into a plastic bag in the freezer until you're ready to use them.
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