[galen]

I've had a look (search) on here and tinternet and really just want to confirm - Are field beans Broad Beans and if so and I want an over wintering green manure do I buy something like "The Sutton" ?

[Pompey Spud]

No Field Beans aren't Broads.

If you want to grow Broads over winter to eat, grow Aqua something something. Name escapes me.  Winter hardy.

I think you can eat Field Beans but I grow Hungarian Grazing Rye.

[Yorkie]

No Field Beans aren't Broads.

If you want to grow Broads over winter to eat, grow Aqua something something. Name escapes me.  Winter hardy.

I think you can eat Field Beans but I grow Hungarian Grazing Rye.

Aquadulce

And yes field beans are edible, taste very good in a stir fry

[galen]

Thanks for your help, it's all a bit strange. I looked over the weekend and seemingly only found references to Field/Broad beans being the same, just looked again and have found a supplier of field beans.

Then again, I suppose overwintering broad beans on my light soil is doing the same as green manure !

[nickplant]

Just picking up on he question of winter fields beans and their edibility....

I have a good healthy patch that have grown well over winter, and I was going to pull them up for the compost bin and clear the site for summer planting, but have noticed lots of flowers forming now it's warm, and part of me can't bear to dispose of them, if they are indeed edible, as this would be a waste... Yorkie says they are -eg nice in stir fry- but can anyone confirm/corroborate this, and are you referring to eating the pods when young or waiting til the beans themselves inside are ripe to eat lie broad beans?

One other thing: I have read something about pricking out the tops of field beans and/or broad beans. Why and when?

Thanks
Nick

[mumofstig]

You pick the tops to stop the black fly.
So as soon as you see some on the plants...you go round pinching off all the tops, they sappy bits...cos that's what they like to be on. You pick them off whether the fly is on them or not, cos it stops the fly from spreading