Your comments and tips

06 Aug 09, Marion English (Australia - temperate climate)

Emma I have finally got pods coming out looks like being a good crop my plants would only be about 2ft tall but very bushy and yes the tops are delicious also planted fairly close together

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08 Aug 09, Ian Purdie (Australia - temperate climate)

My Italian neighbour came up from Sydney four days ago and inspected my BB's. "What's the problem? I see no problem. Don't worry about ants. Already you have good pods" Where? Yep there were some small pods which in four days since have grown four fold and now stand right out. He went on to say that it was the cooler weather [for here] which had held them back. "When they get to 1.5 metres you will have more than you know what to do with". Thanks all.

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08 Aug 09, Teash (Australia - temperate climate)

After my harvest of broad beans last year, we took them all out of the garden and placed them on a composting pile, you guessed it in about 2 months I have BB everywhere, so I have just let them go, I have had BB over the winter, not a lot but enough for 1 decent feed per week. My advice to all you BB lovers, if you get lots of ants, give them a good spray with some soapy water, you may need to do this weekly if you have the time. If you see lots of bees around your flowers you will have lots of BB. Last year I just placed a rope around the bottom of mine and one around midway up to try and keep them together. One can never have enough broadbeans, blanch them quickly and freeze them if you have to many, mine generally dont last that long. Hope I have helped you in some way.

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10 Aug 09, Rosemary Anderson (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

Tall healthy BB plants with many flowers but none setting. Does anyone know the reason or remedy?

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12 Aug 09, max davey (Australia - temperate climate)

are broad beans and fava beans the same.For medical reasons I have been told to eat fava beans for my complaint.

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12 Aug 09, Ken (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

Rosemary, mine are the same. Over a metre tall, flowers have been appearing for many weeks, but no fruit set yet. We are having good frosts but I thought broad beans were frost tolerant. I have no answers yet.

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15 Aug 09, Carol (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

I live North of Brisbane,my broadbeans are flowering well,i have never grown them before so i dont know what to expect,do the pods come after the flowers.

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15 Aug 09, Jarrad (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Carol, I too live north of Brisbane and have broadbeans that are flowering but also do not know when to expect pods. The flowers always seem to attract plenty of bees but they are blackening as well. Not sure if this is supposed to happen...

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16 Aug 09, nat (Australia - temperate climate)

Ken i think the BB plants are frost tolerant but it can affect the flowers so you may not get beans until after the frosts, im not 100% sure though.

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19 Aug 09, Gary (Australia - temperate climate)

Hi, I have planted my beans and they are beginning to sprout. Do I need to stake them in any manner?

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