[andyww2013]

Hi,

I had a bit of spare ground back in November so put in some Broadbeans.  To my surprise they are now about 8 inches tall and have flowers forming on them.  This seems a bit odd given its only January.

I think the lack of a cold winter is really starting to show now.  Should I just leave them?

They also have some black marks on the leaves and also some bits of leaf are missing, like something is eating it, however they've spent most of their time under mesh.

Thanks.

[Dev]

Hi Andy. I think I would just leave them and hope that you get a crop. This winter is turning out to be as peculiar as the long rain free summer, but nature can turn quickly - we may have three foot of snow in May! I hope not. I'm not sure you will get a crop if they're flowering already, but what is the alternative? It's a bit like growing old - its better than the alternative!

[New shoot]

The notches around the edges of the leaves will be bean and pea weavils.  Plants always get munched on our site, but usually it doesn't affect them too much and they grow through it.

Black marks could be just winter damage, but keep an eye on it. 

I grow Wizard beans, rather than traditional broad beans, which I just can't get to overwinter successfully .  Mine are growing uncovered in open ground.  They are only 2-3 inches tall and no-where near flowering.  Cover your crop back up and hope for the best, like Dev says. 

[Jeebus]

I'm no expert, but I also sowed some broad beans towards the end of last year. I'd personally leave them - as Dev says what's the alternative? Might as well use this as a test/experiment so you know whether to bother again in future years. At least if it doesn't work, then you can just sow some more in the spring.

They might surprise you though, they seem quite hardy. Mine are still in the module tray and when I looked at them yesterday morning they were all lying down and I thought the wind had battered them. The soil was very dry so I gave them a drink and they are all standing up again this morning.

[Longshanks]

My broad beans always seem to be decimated by black fly, so before Christmas I sowed some in my poly tunnel. They seem to be OK now, about 12" high.

[andyww2013]

Here are mine, looking a little sad....

[Jeebus]

Here are mine, looking a little sad....

Not as sad as mine yesterday morning after the frost. They seem to have recovered a bit today though.

[Christine]

I've had broad beans out on an allotment in weather like this - they fell over, stood up, fell over, prospered and cropped quite well in the end. I was doubtful for some of the winter mind.

[Jeebus]

I've had broad beans out on an allotment in weather like this - they fell over, stood up, fell over, prospered and cropped quite well in the end. I was doubtful for some of the winter mind.

That's reassuring, as my broad beans (above) were standing up by yesterday evening, and had fallen down again when I checked them this morning.

[New shoot]

Broad beans are an ancient crop, so have proved their mettle for survival.  They have been in cultivation so long, scientists are unable to trace a wild origin for them.  There's a bit of useless trivia for you    I like growing them though just for this fact alone 

As I've said, the modern versions struggle a bit for me overwinter.  My Wizard beans (old field bean version of a broad bean) go through all phases over winter, from looking tragic after snow and frost, to looking great, but they just keep going.  I have given up fretting over them and just leave them to it these days.  Plant seeds direct in soil, walk away, sling some chicken manure at them to perk them up come spring, pick.  No faff whatsoever 

[Jeebus]

Thanks New Shoot for the trivial and information. As mine are currently in modules in the garden (as the rats would have eaten them on the plot), when is the best time to plant them out would you say? The obvious answer would be spring, but I was hoping to get them out on the plot as soon as possible so that I have one less job to do. Given that they are so hardy, is it just a case of putting them out as soon as it looks like the rats have gone?

[New shoot]

Modules are a good option if there are rats about.  It is the seed they are after, so once the plants are growing away well, they leave them alone.

I would say plant as soon as the soil dries out and is workable 

[Jeebus]

Oh right I didn't know that, I thought they'd be after the whole plants. The soil is currently workable, so as long as we don't have any of the white stuff I will take them to the plot this weekend. If nothing else it means I won't have to watch them fall over as they get battered by the frost, wind and rain.