[out4nowt]

I intend to follow a 4 year rotation on my new allotment but my family are not that keen on beans or peas, so, I'll only grow a few beans and peas (because I like them) but I'm wondering what other crops I can use to fill up the legumes bed?

[penance]

Try spinach, leeks, onions etc.

[paintedlady]

not a veg, but how about sweetpeas    lovely as scented cut flowers and also encourages the bees to come to the garden (we need to look after our little garden friends where numbers are dropping alarmingly)

[woodburner]

How about field beans (or the cheapest broad beans you can find if you can't get field beans) as green manure.
Being legumes they will fix nitrogen in the bed as well as providing green material for the compost heap.

[out4nowt]

Thanks very much, all suggestions appreciated.

[andyandyjohnson]

You could grow Borlotti beans for drying or freezing. They are great in soups and stews. They look great in the garden too.

[WirralWally]

out4nowt,
Those members of your family who claim not to like beans and peas will probably wake up to reality when you bring home the results from your new allotment.

I have to strive to grow more of them (and a number of other veg types) to feed all those who'd never tasted 'proper' veg before.
All of a sudden they can't get enough and, even more amusing, is when I hear them telling friends how wonderful 'proper' home-grown veg is and how little cooking it actually needs "or else it'll lose it's flavour . . . . . etc"  

[paintedlady]

out4nowt,
Those members of your family who claim not to like beans and peas will probably wake up to reality when you bring home the results from your new allotment

You are so right WirralWally - forget the cooking, lovely sweet peas eaten straight out of the pods are   I can't believe anyone can say they don't like peas!

[out4nowt]

I've just shown your replies to my wife and she laughed  :roll:
I think you're right, mine will be so delicious, she'll love them  :roll:

[sawnee]

out4nowt,
Those members of your family who claim not to like beans and peas will probably wake up to reality when you bring home the results from your new allotment

You are so right WirralWally - forget the cooking, lovely sweet peas eaten straight out of the pods are   I can't believe anyone can say they don't like peas!

dont eat sweetpeas they are poisonous   Sorry to be daft but the reference to growing edible peas and sweetpeas could be misleading :?

[sawnee]

Grow a few mangetout, they are lovely picked fresh and steamed (thats if they make it home)

[paintedlady]

dont eat sweetpeas they are poisonous   Sorry to be daft but the reference to growing edible peas and sweetpeas could be misleading :?

 :shock:   never occurred to me when I wrote about the peas being lovely & sweet, but after suggesting sweetpeas on the same thread as well ... I can see how that can be easily misunderstood.  Well spotted sawnee  

Sweetpeas for flowers only & seeds are poisonous!  Peas for eating are lovely & sweet straight from the pod  

[compostqueen]

Your lotty grown veg will be a revalation to you. Nothing like shop bought but only if you pick them and cook and eat them at their prime.  Pick them only as you need them, don't let them sit about!  I'm a stickler for this and never cut anything til I need it, especially sweetcorn which needs to be picked, cooked and eaten immediately  

[woodburner]

Your lotty grown veg will be a revalation to you. Nothing like shop bought but only if you pick them and cook and eat them at their prime.  Pick them only as you need them, don't let them sit about!  I'm a stickler for this and never cut anything til I need it, especially sweetcorn which needs to be picked, cooked and eaten immediately  

The exception to that is beans pick them as soon as they are ready or they will go tough/stringy/hard. If you don't want them all you can freeze them, or give them away. Leaving them on the plant exhausts the plant too.
My kids were objecting to my growing runner beans as the ones from the shops are only borderline ok and to cap that I was given some by a neighbour that had one or two really old ones that were like razor blades inside.
I picked all mine regularly, not letting them get bigger than about 1cm wide, and they were delicious, and the kids like them now.

[alfman]

All good advice about eating them as soon as they're picked, especially peas. The sugar in peas turns to starch 1 hour after picking (as most of you no doubt know.) Thats why Birds Eye rushes to freeze them within the hour. I'm with you Painted Lady, there's nothing sweeter than peas straight from the pod. (my grandkids can testify.)
 Except maybe sweetcorn, where the 1 hour rule also applies.