Talkback: Sowing broad beans - Page 2 - Talkback

03/05/2009 at 21:11

Hi have the same sort of problem with my broad beans, plenty of flowers and no pods forming. The strangest thing is I have 3 different varieties set and I'm thinking it might be ants or earwigs causing the problem as the flowers are just disppearing as if they were picked over night. Anyone got any ideas??

Gardeners' World Web User

18/05/2009 at 05:28

I have the same problem here in Hungary. The broad beans grew lovely, no blackfly or aphids, the flowers came out, and 90% of them are just withering and falling off. Just a few are forming pods. Any idea? Is it lack of bees for pollentation?

Gardeners' World Web User

07/06/2009 at 19:25

with reference to James Atkins, I have the same problem and it is caused by bumblebees drilling into the back of the flower robbing the nectar rather than going into the front. Has any one got any ideas of how to combat this? Do the bees need proper training?

Gardeners' World Web User

07/04/2010 at 11:07

This will be my first year growing broad beans. Just in case the pod-forming problem is bumblebees, I'm going to try netting the plants with netting holes wide enough for other bees to enter and escape, but too small for bumblebees...

Gardeners' World Web User

28/11/2011 at 18:30

Try to soak, your broad beans in parffin.Brfor you sow them, as the smell keeps the mice away.

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