[Grubbypaws]

I have grown broad bean The Sutton for the first time. They are doing really well with pods forming at the bottom and new flowers appearing at the top. They have no aphids as yet. The seed packet says to pinch out the growing tips to help the pods swell and to reduce the risk of backfly.

When do I do this? It seems a shame to pinch off healthy new growth with flowers forming.

[Aunt Sally]

I usually do it at the first sign of black fly.  They are generally about 3ft high then and have a good number of pods on each plant.

[Grubbypaws]

I usually do it at the first sign of black fly.  They are generally about 3ft high then and have a good number of pods on each plant.

Are blackfly inevitable? If not would you pinch the tops off any way?

[Aunt Sally]

I think they are probably inevitable, to be honest.  I’ve never grown a crop without them appearing.

[Stewarty]

When blackfly appear on my broad beans I usually smirk complacently and say 'The ladybirds will be along any moment...!'.   And it's always been more or less true  -  until this year. I haven't seen a single ladybird, and my broad beans and dahlias have been smothered in blackfly.  I've been reduced to smearing them off with my fingers, aided by a soap dispenser, a messy chore which I find quite unpleasant.  And the broad beans in particular have really suffered.  We did manage to get 8 or 9 feeds off the over-winter ones, but my spring-sown ones have given us practically nothing.  I've also sown a new autumn-cropping variety, which are just starting to show through  -   it'll be interesting to see how they fare.
Meanwhile, is anybody else aware of a dearth of lady birds....?

[Grubbypaws]

Before I spray with dilute washing up liquid I always check for ladybird larvae. This year I havent found a single one and have yet to see an adult  No idea what is going on.

[The Alness Veg Strangler]

Don't tend to get Blackfly up here in the Highlands. However, when the Blessed Monty mentions trimming the tops off on Gardeners World, out come the secateurs. This years crop looking pretty good even the ones bought at Morrison's pop-up garden centre at the start of lockdown.

[Nobbie]

No black fly on my overwintered beans this year, but plenty of ladybirds and larvae around. The big thistle I was growing for cut flowers was absolutely smothered in greenfly though , didn’t realise until I’d put some cut flowers on the kitchen table and put my glasses on

[Ema]

I had black fly for 2 weeks, they sucked the life out of some small bean pods. I hosed them and squished them and they’ve gone!! 

Hardly any ladybirds this year I’ve been gathering any I see and putting them in the greenhouse where I have an aphid issue. Strange given the mild winter! I didn’t have any hibernate in my windows either

[Hampshire Hog]

I’ve had significant black fly here in Hampshire on my broad beans. Removed the growing tips and used washing up liquid. Also pleased that there are some ladybirds and I try to avoid them when squirting the black flies. HH

[JayG]

One or two of my broad bean plants looked to be providing a nice breeding ground for blackfly a week or so ago, but they have now disappeared (the blackfly ), despite the apparent absence of ladybirds and other predators.
Only have two short rows - might try pinching out one row and leaving the other one to see if it makes any difference...

[Grubbypaws]

Don't tend to get Blackfly up here in the Highlands. However, when the Blessed Monty mentions trimming the tops off on Gardeners World, out come the secateurs. This years crop looking pretty good even the ones bought at Morrison's pop-up garden centre at the start of lockdown.

Has the Blessed Monty spoken yet?