Harvest in 12-22 weeks. Pick frequently to encourage more pods.
It is a rigid, erect plant 0.5-1.7 m tall, with stout stems with a square cross-section. The leaves are 10-25 cm long, pinnate with 2-7 leaflets, and of a distinct glaucous grey-green color. Harvest 90 - 160 days depending on how cold the weather is.
In windy areas it is best to provide some support with posts and string, otherwise the plants will fall across each other. Pick the tops out once beans start setting to prevent blackfly.
The fresh beans are eaten steamed or boiled. As the beans mature it is better to remove their tough outer skins after cooking.
Small beans can be eaten whole in the pods.
Broad beans will freeze well. Remove from pods and blanch.
These are our staple reliable crop in chch. great wizzed up raw to make felafel. i sow them at all times of the year into the roughest of ground in our heavy clay they even grow ok direct sown into the lawn or a developing area. they usually do better sown in late winter and i sow alot closer together.
Yes bumble bees around everyday. maybe its a late season for Broad Beans?
ok i live near the sea in eastern southland my advice from very experenced gardeners in winton to plant broad beans very early august or before that.... i have always found that you can plant them later before xmas and obtain a good crop if you plant early in cold ground its not going to get there quicker . i dont think that the ground will be at 6 deg on the first day of spring What is your thoughts any how. another comment on blanching, then freezing all it will do is change the colour to a dull grey the fact is that it is going to be cooked any how, i stopped blanching ages ago.
What are some innovative ways of selling them?
Roger, we just leave all the stems and although they tend to flop around a bit, they all produce plenty of beans.
How to prevent the plant falling down each other? "it is best to provide some support with posts and stringusing." I think the best way is to choose a proper time to sow. Sow in May or June rather than Mar or April. Because sow in winter, the plant grows slowly. During spring the plant will grow fast and strong that wouldn't fall.
We top our broad beans and that helps them bush out; besides the fleshy plant tips are great for steaming...I like them better than spinach!