So frustrated by the deluge, I've been reduced to sowing my third set of
Broad Beans ("Aquadulce Claudia") in pots inside today. But I have a
nagging doubt. Most seeds are tiny little things and they have to make
the best of however they land, but broad beans have a great big "This
Way Up" sign in the shape of their 'scar'.

But which way up is it? Scar up for the leaves to grow? Down for the
roots? Sideways, thin side up, down? Horizontally? Do the roots and
shoots even grow from the scar? Does it even matter?

It's a bit late now of course, but I'd still like to know...

Second question - the packet says to sow November to January, which is
exactly what I've done so far, and my first sowings have come up and are
looking very happy. So what will happen if I continue to sow
successionally through the spring? I was given a 1/2kg bag from a
farmer friend, for which I am very grateful, but it means I've got
masses left even after giving lots away...

Peter

"Peter Robinson" wrote in message
...
So frustrated by the deluge, I've been reduced to sowing my third set of
Broad Beans ("Aquadulce Claudia") in pots inside today. But I have a
nagging doubt. Most seeds are tiny little things and they have to make
the best of however they land, but broad beans have a great big "This
Way Up" sign in the shape of their 'scar'.

But which way up is it? Scar up for the leaves to grow? Down for the
roots? Sideways, thin side up, down? Horizontally? Do the roots and
shoots even grow from the scar? Does it even matter?

It's a bit late now of course, but I'd still like to know...

Second question - the packet says to sow November to January, which is
exactly what I've done so far, and my first sowings have come up and are
looking very happy. So what will happen if I continue to sow
successionally through the spring? I was given a 1/2kg bag from a
farmer friend, for which I am very grateful, but it means I've got
masses left even after giving lots away...

Peter

Push them in the ground and they will come up, there is no right way up...
imagine if the fell, they would still come up. My second lot are just
popping through on the allotment. I use different varieties as I go along
but whatever you put in will germinate. The Aquadulce are supposed to be
extra tough though and are usually the ones put in early. If you sow too
late they are more likely to get blackfly but these can usually be squashed
as you walk along the row.


--
Rowdens Reservoir Allotments
Best Allotment Site in Plymouth
Plymouth In Bloom Gold Award 2007
www.rraa.moonfruit.com

Peter Robinson writes
So frustrated by the deluge, I've been reduced to sowing my third set of
Broad Beans ("Aquadulce Claudia") in pots inside today. But I have a
nagging doubt. Most seeds are tiny little things and they have to make
the best of however they land, but broad beans have a great big "This
Way Up" sign in the shape of their 'scar'.

But which way up is it? Scar up for the leaves to grow? Down for the
roots? Sideways, thin side up, down? Horizontally? Do the roots and
shoots even grow from the scar? Does it even matter?

No :-)


Second question - the packet says to sow November to January, which is
exactly what I've done so far, and my first sowings have come up and are
looking very happy. So what will happen if I continue to sow
successionally through the spring? I was given a 1/2kg bag from a
farmer friend, for which I am very grateful, but it means I've got
masses left even after giving lots away...

They'll just be later all the way through. If you have masses, there's
nothing to lose by continuing to sow, and you'll be less tempted to
leave them on the plant too long to increase size - they're much nicer
if they're not left too long.
--
Kay

K wrote:
Peter Robinson writes
So frustrated by the deluge, I've been reduced to sowing my third set of
Broad Beans ("Aquadulce Claudia") in pots inside today. But I have a
nagging doubt. Most seeds are tiny little things and they have to make
the best of however they land, but broad beans have a great big "This
Way Up" sign in the shape of their 'scar'.

But which way up is it? Scar up for the leaves to grow? Down for the
roots? Sideways, thin side up, down? Horizontally? Do the roots and
shoots even grow from the scar? Does it even matter?

No :-)


Second question - the packet says to sow November to January, which is
exactly what I've done so far, and my first sowings have come up and are
looking very happy. So what will happen if I continue to sow
successionally through the spring? I was given a 1/2kg bag from a
farmer friend, for which I am very grateful, but it means I've got
masses left even after giving lots away...

They'll just be later all the way through. If you have masses, there's
nothing to lose by continuing to sow, and you'll be less tempted to
leave them on the plant too long to increase size - they're much nicer
if they're not left too long.
We favour them when they can be eaten pods and all, roll on!

Second question - the packet says to sow November to January, which is
exactly what I've done so far, and my first sowings have come up and are
looking very happy. So what will happen if I continue to sow
successionally through the spring? I was given a 1/2kg bag from a
farmer friend, for which I am very grateful, but it means I've got
masses left even after giving lots away...

Peter

I planted a row of Broad beans about 6/7 weeks ago, they all
came along fine but the frost has given them a bit of a bashing.
They grew to about 9/12 inches but are all now laying flat.
Will they pick up or are they finished ??

Wally

On Sun, 20 Jan 2008 00:15:46 +0000, (Peter
Robinson) wrote:

It's a bit late now of course, but I'd still like to know...

I'm just listening to GQT and Bob F has just said that now is the time
to sow broad beans if you didn't do so in Autumn.
He suggested sowing them in a tray of soil.
I sow mine in pots, on end, scar up, so the root and shoot can go the
way they want to, but whichever way you sow them, they will go the
right way.

Pam in Bristol

On 20 Jan, 08:58, "Robert \(Plymouth\)"
remove my other hobby to reply
wrote:
Push them in the ground and they will come up, there is no right way up...

I don't know since when I do that and why I've started, but all 'flat'
seeds I sow them on their side thinking that they won't rot as much as
if they were lying flat. I do this with pumpkins too. But I'm sure it
doesn't make any difference ;o)

In article ,
writes:
| On 20 Jan, 08:58, "Robert \(Plymouth\)"
| remove my other hobby to reply
| wrote:
| Push them in the ground and they will come up, there is no right way up...
|
| I don't know since when I do that and why I've started, but all 'flat'
| seeds I sow them on their side thinking that they won't rot as much as
| if they were lying flat. I do this with pumpkins too. But I'm sure it
| doesn't make any difference ;o)

It's not so much the position of the beans, as the ... er ....

http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=002...2.0.CO%3 B2-Y


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On Jan 20, 11:09*am, K wrote:
Peter Robinson writes

So frustrated by the deluge, I've been reduced to sowing my third set of
Broad Beans ("Aquadulce Claudia") in pots inside today. *But I have a
nagging doubt. *Most seeds are tiny little things and they have to make
the best of however they land, but broad beans have a great big "This
Way Up" sign in the shape of their 'scar'.

But which way up is it? *Scar up for the leaves to grow? *Down for the
roots? *Sideways, thin side up, down? *Horizontally? *Do the roots and
shoots even grow from the scar? *Does it even matter?

No :-)

Second question - the packet says to sow November to January, which is
exactly what I've done so far, and my first sowings have come up and are
looking very happy. *So what will happen if I continue to sow
successionally through the spring? *I was given a 1/2kg bag from a
farmer friend, for which I am very grateful, but it means I've got
masses left even after giving lots away...

They'll just be later all the way through. If you have masses, there's
nothing to lose by continuing to sow, and you'll be less tempted to
leave them on the plant too long to increase size - they're much nicer
if they're not left too long.
--
Kay

Hi Kay, it's many years since I have seen your garden in Leeds I
expect it has changed. Which part of it do you plant the veg in, at
the narrow bottom end or higher up as I don't think you had veggies
when I stayed with you?

Judith

On 20 Jan, 17:10, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:
It's not so much the position of the beans, as the ... er ....
http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=002...66%3A262%3C333...

Won't catch me in this way when sowing my broad beans in North West
England! But peas ... I might think again, the weather is often quite
fine ;o)

"Robert \(Plymouth\)" remove my
other hobby to reply wrote:

"Peter Robinson" wrote in message
...

[...] But which way up is it? Scar up for the leaves to grow?

Push them in the ground and they will come up, there is no right way up...
imagine if the fell, they would still come up.

Some of the time - I don't want great big holes in my nice neat rows :-)
I think I'd read somewhere that if you sow them on their side they're
more likely to rot because water might pool on top. But that does sound
a bit far fetched.

If you sow too late they are more likely to get blackfly but these can
usually be squashed as you walk along the row.

If that's all it is, that doesn't sound too bad. I know one of the
reasons for sowing in autumn is to get ahead of the pests. Last year my
fingers and the ladybirds just about managed to keep the blackfly on my
runner beans under control. (Didn't grow broad beans though, so we will
have more work this year...)

Thanks for the advice from one and all.

Peter

Pam Moore wrote:

I sow mine in pots, on end, scar up, so the root and shoot can go the
way they want to, but whichever way you sow them, they will go the
right way.

One of the reasons I asked was from what happened to some of my runner
beans last year. I sowed them individually in pots, and most of them
germinated really quickly and came up just as you'd expect. But a
couple took a while longer, and when they came up, they looked
freakishly twisted, with some thick white shoots that looked like roots
right near the surface - as if the roots and leaves had got twisted
together before they're worked out which way was up! I was tempted to
turn them out just to see what was going on down there, but I relented.

I lost track of where they went when I planted them out, but I imagine
they grew fine like all the others eventually, but it did make me
wonder.

Peter

K wrote:

But which way up is it? Scar up for the leaves to grow? Down for the
roots? Sideways, thin side up, down? Horizontally? Do the roots and
shoots even grow from the scar? Does it even matter?

No :-)

Thanks Kay, that's good news :-)

Second question - the packet says to sow November to January, [...] So
what will happen if I continue to sow successionally through the spring?

They'll just be later all the way through.

That's what I was hoping - I'm trying to avoid the inevitable glut. I
thought it strange the packet didn't say something like Nov - Apr, but I
suppose that's because it's a variety you normally buy specifically for
early sowing.

If you have masses, there's nothing to lose by continuing to sow, and
you'll be less tempted to leave them on the plant too long to increase
size - they're much nicer if they're not left too long.

Yes - I've read you can even eat them pod and all like french/runner
beans if you pick them really young.

Peter

On 20 Jan, 19:07, (Peter Robinson) wrote:
Yes - I've read you can even eat them pod and all like french/runner
beans if you pick them really young.

I can't sow them here now, far too wet, autumn is the same and they
get damaged by wind, rain, gales whatever the elements throw at us. In
pots I find they start too quick, too lanky and they look fragile once
back in the ground. I suppose it's something again to do with the rain
we have all-the-time and every year. I use a dwarf variety Aquadulcy
and Wilkiem. Very strong little plant whatever the weather with sweet
beans.

We eat ours raw though - always. French bread, butter, salt, dunk the
bean in the salt and crunch )

wrote:

We eat ours raw though - always. French bread, butter, salt, dunk the
bean in the salt and crunch )

Sounds good! They're safe to eat raw then? Good to know.

Peter