Sowing time and spacing for growing Wizard beans for beans, not as green manure

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Snoop

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My packet of Wizard beans has arrived from Chancton seeds. The instructions on the packet are 18-25 beans per square metre, but I'm guessing that that's for growing them as a green manure, not as a bean-producing crop.

I've just noticed that some broad bean seeds from my last crop (Monica) have self-seeded and are already growing. So it made me think that maybe I need to get on the case with the Wizard beans.

Can anyone give me any advice on when to sow the Wizard beans and at what spacing between the seeds and rows?

Thanks.


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AnneB

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They are full sized plants, so I spaced them the same as for standard broad beans.   I planted them in a block 9" apart each way.    I put mine in on 1st November this year, and that worked well for me.

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Snoop

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They are full sized plants, so I spaced them the same as for standard broad beans.   I planted them in a block 9" apart each way.    I put mine in on 1st November this year, and that worked well for me.

Can I ask what you mean by a 'block'? I'm guessing you don't mean rows or double rows.

And thanks, MoS.

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beesrus

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Time for a little cautionary tale.
Plant too early with a mild wet Winter like last year and you can have a lot of trouble with wind and chocolate spot. The plants need to be quite small when entering Winter, not the 2 ft high I had last year, and they just kept growing and growing. Also I have always planted about 9inches apart in blocks so as they support themselves in the Winter wind, but the downside is that close proximity can encourage chocolate spot. There's a lot to think about.

Yes, I still had a good crop of aquadulce claudia, but it took a whole lot of effort and continual care. Another Autumn crop of Imperial that also got too big were a total loss. Both crops got terrible rust due to the stress thay had been under.
I used to plant beans the last ten days in October. I won't be doing that again in a hurry. First week in November at the earliest from now on for me.
« Last Edit: August 31, 2014, 15:49 by beesrus »

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Snoop

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Also I have always planted about 9inches apart in blocks

OK, blocks seem to be the way to go. So for blocks, am I talking about, say, four by four in a square metre?

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beesrus

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Yes, that would be fine Snoop, about 30 for 2 square metres. I would guess in Spain you won't have quite the damp/manky/chocolate spot problem that we can suffer. :)
With all my block sowings for tallish plants like broad beans ( sweet corn as well ) as they mature, even then I tend to crisscross a few string lines at 2 feet level to keep them as one in the Spring winds. I don't know how high Wizard grow, but my aquadulce have been known to be 5 feet plus ! :mellow:
« Last Edit: August 31, 2014, 17:35 by beesrus »

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AnneB

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They are full sized plants, so I spaced them the same as for standard broad beans.   I planted them in a block 9" apart each way.    I put mine in on 1st November this year, and that worked well for me.

Can I ask what you mean by a 'block'? I'm guessing you don't mean rows or double rows.

And thanks, MoS.
Beesrus has beaten me to it, but a block of them as you describe is exactly how I grew them.  I had no problems at all with chocolate spot on Wizard, whereas it was a regular problem for me with Aquadulce and crimson flowered regular broad beans.  Sown first week in November they were just the right size to survive the winter nicely.

They reach the same height as regular broad beans.   They were mostly self supporting, but I just tied string around 4 posts at each corner of the block to help the plants on the outside stay upright.
« Last Edit: August 31, 2014, 17:43 by AnneB »

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Snoop

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Thanks guys. That's fantastic info. In fact, beesrus, I generally get chocolate spot on my broad beans (very heavy frosts and periods of heavy rain in spring, so most days the plants are surprisingly damp in the mornings if not all day), which is one reason why I was attracted to Wizard. So, I'll start these off late autumn and my Crimson flowered in the spring. Thanks for helping me to make the decision. Brilliant.

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sunshineband

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Really helpful information everyone, thank you.

I have been wondering about Wizards, and this has convinced me to give them a go  :D :D
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Madame Cholet

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They are a good variety not too tall I also grow in a block plant mine in Oct to OW they get a little choc spot but not until they are almost all harvested in spring. Really high yeld in a small space,
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Snoop

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Really helpful information everyone, thank you.

I have been wondering about Wizards, and this has convinced me to give them a go  :D :D

Hi, Sunshineband. For your info, I got my seeds from Chancton Seeds rather than Real Seeds, which are very expensive for postage to Spain. Chancton seeds has a very small range, but their prices for Wizard beans are good and, if I recall rightly, they post free of charge to the UK.



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