5 January 2007
Nothing but a hill of beans
My first year at the allotment I was very surprised by a crop of broad beans that turned out to be exquisite. So delicious were they that I even honoured them with a Pumpkin Soup award.
Last year I was determined to grow even more so that I could once again savour their delightful taste, but this lot tasted rubbish. Evidently I had used up all the seeds of the delicious type and had mis-remembered their name when ordering a new packet and ended up with something horrible instead (Super Aquadulce - avoid them if you can). It was a crushing blow.
You wouldn’t think that bean disappointment could have such an effect on a person, would you?
This year, I am determined to have tasty broad beans (it seems a modest ambition really) and so the plan is to grow a few varieties. Rifling through my box of seed I found three small packets of Bunyards Exhibition that I bought last year and never planted. I have ordered more of the beans that originally tasted so good - Masterpiece Green Longpod. I have also decided to trial two other green-beaned varieties which are supposed to taste better than white beans - Imperial Green Longpod and Verdy. Finally, and because Mr Flowerdew suggests them as the gourmet’s choice, I’ve also ordered Red Epicure.
Come June it will be beans with everything. And even if they all turn out to taste diappointing, at least I will be regular.
Filed under: Mulch — Clare @ 2:52 pm
My broad beans all got chocolate spot and died at a tragically young age. I will be trying again this year. Do you have any idea what causes chocolate spot or how to avoid it?
(05.01.07 @ 2:59 pm)
Hi Mel - I know nothing, but a quick look through my trusty Joy Larkcom book tells me the following: “Dark brown spots on leaves eventually coalesce into blotches. May kill plants in wet season. No remedy. Burn infected plants and grow at wider spacing in future. Keep weed-free.”
According to Monty, chocolate spot is caused by the fungus Botrytis fabae and it tends to afflict later crops rather than overwintering ones, particularly in warm, humid weather.
I hope this helps - it’s been useful for me!
(05.01.07 @ 3:09 pm)
That’s very helpful. These were planted pretty late, and perhaps too close together, although it was a dry summer rather than wet or humid. Maybe I overwatered creating the wet conditions that suit the fungus. That gives me lots of things to do differently this year and hopefully avoid it. Cheers.
(06.01.07 @ 8:09 am)