[radiohead]

Hi all,
Wev'e grown broad beans for the first time on our new plot and have got a pretty good crop,nearly over now. They are T&M Suttons and the seed packet describes each pod as being filled with five beans...now only a few of ours managed 5 ...most were 4    and some just 2 .......have we gone wrong somewhere or is this normal?

[pigeonpie]

I'm not sure broad beans can count so don't know how many to produce no matter what the seed packet says.  I'm sure there is a technical explanation as to why it happens but mine often vary from 1 or 2 right up to 6 or 7 per pod.  As long as they taste good I don't really mind!

[solway cropper]

The Sutton are a dwarf variety and mine usually produce between 2 and 5 beans per pod. If you grow a 'longpod' variety you will get a bigger yield but they are taller and require a bit more support, especially if you live in a windy spot like me.

[andy135]

I've grown giant exhibition longpod this year and they have been cr@p!
44 seeds sown and all germinated. Got lots of flowers but not many pods as there is a shortage of pollinating insects. i.e honey bees. We've only had two meals from them.  

[radiohead]

Seems normal then, they are very tasty but perhaps the moral is dont believe everything you read on the back of seed packets ........(it seems to me that T&M are specially good at bigging up the crop expectations on their seed packets )