[Enfield Glen]

Planted out 28 pots of Broad Beans on Saturday as the roots where starting to poke out of the bottom of the pots. Protected them from slugs, snails, Pigeons & the weather. Just been over to find nearly all had the shoots separated form the seeds. Not a happy chappy.

Any ideas what it was as no sign of the shoots actually being eaten I assume they were after the seed.

Will plant them straight in the ground now as no one else's seem to have been attacked and they planted them back in Jan.

[snowdrops]

Oh that is a shame was it windy? Have the seeds gone?

[victoria park]

Looks like rodents to me. Most other critters would go for the leaves. Similar to the way they will attack freshly sprouted peas.

[Enfield Glen]

Protected rom the wind, planted some peas out yesterday before I spotted the Beans had gone, not holding out much hope for them although they do have some protection. Not much more I can do other than hope the blighters get eaten themselves.

[New shoot]

It does look like mice after the remains of the seed.  Fingers crossed for the peas.  As you say, now they are out, there isn't much you can do.

[Salmo]

It is a good tip to plant broad beans deep, i.e. 3-4inches, and pack the soil down tight to deter mice. This applies to both seed and plants. If these were not covered against birds I would have said it was jackdaws or rooks as mice seldom bother once the plants are up.

[Blewit]

Could it be magpies. The black and white thugs have been attacking my strawberry plants and nipping the leaves off at the base of the stem. I can only think they must be looking for insects. I've also watched four of them take it in turns to jump up and down on then peck holes in an enviromesh-covered frame with nothing in it.

[madcat]

I'd go for mice or shrews - they love the pea or bean left in the ground and just left the shoot and root.  I've lost a lot of peas that way.  (My sister grows them in a gutter in the poly to start them off, and has to hang the gutter from the roof of the tunnel to stop the peskies getting at the peas ....  on the work top/bench isnt good enough).

[azubah]

could be magpies or squirrels. I had it happen last year with my French beans. They pull off the shoots trying to get at the seeds.

[theothermarg]

It looks like rodents to me too. I cannot grow direct in the ground because of them so bring them on in pots like you.  Just a thought that maybe you should have kept them in the pots a little longer ( the roots were really  hanging out with mine) maybe there was  enough bean left to make a tasty meal for the little b's
Checked mine this AM and still thriving under the netting and they have been there several weeks

[missmoneypenny]

I planted 10 seeds and only 2 plants have come up this year. I thought maybe it was mice.