Loads of aphids all over broad beans and their pods

[Peggy Sue]

Lots of people find the autumn planted ones seem a bit more resistent to blackfly...may just be they are earlier (and hence stronger?)

[Peggy Sue]

We've removed the beans because I think they succumbed to chocolate spot - I need to read up a bit more about this! The beans had come to the end of their life anyway but suddenly noticed the leaves and pods going black/spotty.



Oh well it was interesting to try, and as long as I take off the outer skin of the bean I quite like them! They're just a faff!

Just read something you may be interested in MMM. Broad beans like potash, so wood ashes help them and prevent Chocolate spot.

And also a thought, if you eat them young and tender there won't be the need to skin them

[Odsox]

And also a thought, if you eat them young and tender there won't be the need to skin them

Also if you pick them when they are the size of French beans you can eat pod and all.
I tend to leave them too long as I have in my mind that bigger is better and to eat small beans is a waste.

[Millymollymandy]

I did try them small but didn't like them much with the skin on, and it wasn't until I cooked the bigger ones and took their skins off that I actually liked them!

I couldn't eat them pods and all because the pods were black with aphids! And really if I'd eaten them all small there wouldn't have been much from 11 plants at all.

Will try giving them some wood ash next year, thanks P-Sue.