Borlotti Beans

Morning all,

I am currently growing Borlotti beans under debris netting, and they are nearly flowering.

Do I need to remove the netting to allow pollination to happen?

Or will the beans grow under the netting?

Also, does 1 bean need to be pollinated or just 1 like with cucurbits ?

Oh dear, I though they were like dwarf French beans as they haven't sent out anything from the top.

I'll have to look at the label, but looking on the net, you're right about them growing to 2 metres!

Oops....

I grew mine under debris netting last year to stop rabbits and deer. I thought they were self fertile? In any case I had plenty of pods, so if they did need pollinating whatever was needed happened.

oooh, didn't know you can get dwarf borlotti too! 

I thought I'd try them this year as dried beans, do you eat them young in their pods new shoot?

I thought I'd try them this year as dried beans, do you eat them young in their pods new shoot?

Eat the pods as well  Not tried that, but the reason I have both types is that the dwarf ones are in a double row so I can pick them as shelled beans to eat fresh and the climbers are for drying and are in a 3 sisters bed 

Do you think it will be too late to direct seed Borlotti next weekend for dried beans?

Probably, but well worth sowing for fresh beans    They are great cooked till tender, then chucked in salads or mixed into a tomato sauce over pasta.  Also good for making a nice summer veg soup more of a meal 

Dunno    It would be breaking my heart thinking of all those fresh beans I wasn't going to get later, to eat them that young.

I admit I am a bit addicted to fresh borlotti beans  Just so tasty and I love the texture of them 

Agree about the baby broad beans.  Fluffy food aint my thing either 

Surely you can't eat broadbeans in their pods! Yuck

You can when they are very small, if you want to.  As you have probably guessed, having tried it, neither GrannieAnnie or I could work out why you would want to