[Munchkin]

A few of my broad bean plants have black leaves. Not all of the leaves are like this though so I'm guessing it's a bug? Is this really bad and should I be doing something about it?

[mumofstig]

are the leaves black or have they got lots of little brown dots on them (chocolate spot fungus) ?

[Munchkin]

They're definitely more black than brown.

[Ma and Pa Snip]

They're definitely more black than brown.

Not a broad bean grower, but seem to recall seeing broad beans with frost burn that was black

[kevinp]

I planted my broad beans last year to overwinter, they came up fine and turned into lovely little plants just right for over wintering, then one or two turned black like yours within a couple of weeks they were all gone. I wasn't sure what it was

heres a picture



I had two beds like this around 70 -90 plants

[lucywil]

looks like frost damage to me, although some of them are meant to be winter hardy we have had some really severe cold spells in the last 2 winters and they just cant withstand it

[Yorkie]

I agree with lucywil, -18C didn't agree with them   

[8doubles]

I expect the next packet of bean seed  will claim to be frost hardy too, and the next , and the next..............

Is autumn planting worthwhile ?
To the seed companies it is.

[BabbyAnn]

I expect the next packet of bean seed  will claim to be frost hardy too, and the next , and the next..............

Is autumn planting worthwhile ?
To the seed companies it is.

The last 2 winters have been exceptional, and if any area is reknowned to have very low temperatures during winter, then perhaps the answer is no.  However, I've had several years where overwintered broad beans have been much more productive than spring planted.  I've also learned a trick which went against everything I'd ever been taught about plant spacings - plant them a lot closer and they withstand strong winds and frosts so much better.  The alternate is to grow them under cloches or unheated greenhouses

The term frost hardy means just that - a touch of frost, not buried under snow for several days or weeks as temperatures plummet 

[Munchkin]

I planted all of my broad beans last Autumn and they've been in the green house (un heated) since then. I'd say about half are looking healthy and the other half have holes i the leaves (huge bite marks?) and black leaves on the lower stem. Maybe I should move the healthy ones out the way... it's just they've all been sitting next to each other and the healthy ones are still fine months later. Hmmm. Is it too late to plant some beans now? i have so many spare.

[BabbyAnn]

Is it too late to plant some beans now? i have so many spare.

I sincerely hope its not too late - I've only just sown some myself after the winter failure 

[DD.]

We've only just entered the "spring" sowing period. You can make sucessional sowing from now until May.

[Munchkin]

Awesome!

[viettaclark]

Mine looked terrible last Spring....eaten by flea-beetle and slugs, black from frost...there wasn't much left and they were sprawled out over the bed.
However I left them and they sprouted again from the old stems, bushed up, flowered and I got a crop.
Wasn't going to bother last Autumn but had seed left and spare soil. They look really sick at the moment but I can see signs of life.
Never know......
This time I'll pinch out the tips when they stop producing flowers.....left them last year and they got too leggy putting too much energy into leaf growth rather than BEANZ!