I have two different varieties of broad bean this year. My first crop were planted in the greenhouse in about February in home made newspaper pots. These
'Express' got off to quite a good start before planting them out in March. I don't ever seem to get around to planting them in the Autumn, just lazy I guess, and I assume they will all catch up with each other sooner or later.
The interesting thing this year, is that in April I planted a separate much later crop of
'Green Windsor' (which my Sister bought in Poland!) As usual, the nasty blackfly quickly set up home on my first batch of the earlier '
Express' despite having pinched the tops out. This first crop of beans (above) did not suffer however, but they were quite badly covered. The later crop of 'Green Windsor' (see foliage) was completely un touched!
Not a single blackfly. I am assuming that the first crop was a 'sacrifice plant' and the blackfly just couldn't be bothered to fly over to the second crop. They are now about to crop, and they are perfick !
I have two different varieties of broad bean this year. My first crop were planted in the greenhouse in about February in home made newspaper pots. These 'Express' got off to quite a good start before planting them out in March. I don't ever seem to get around to planting them in the Autumn, just lazy I guess, and I assume they will all catch up with each other sooner or later.
The interesting thing this year, is that in April I planted a separate much later crop of 'Green Windsor' (which my Sister bought in Poland!) As usual, the nasty blackfly quickly set up home on my first batch of the earlier 'Express' despite having pinched the tops out. This first crop of beans (above) did not suffer however, but they were quite badly covered. The later crop of 'Green Windsor' (see foliage) was completely un touched! Not a single blackfly. I am assuming that the first crop was a 'sacrifice plant' and the blackfly just couldn't be bothered to fly over to the second crop. They are now about to crop, and they are perfick !