Your comments and tips

03 May 20, Ganas Naidoo (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)

Please tell me, is broad beans and canned butter beans the same

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04 May 20, liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)

No, they are different varieties of beans

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21 Apr 20, Lea Zimmer (Australia - temperate climate)

This is a worry to me.. My greenhouse seedlings are dying. What can I do. The soil is wet, Do I need artificial lighting and heating. Can someone advise Thank you

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22 Apr 20, M (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

Are you playing around with a toy greenhouse from Bunnings or Aldi or do you have a decent size one, like 4-5m x 5-6m. IF your soil is WET WET then you are over watering it. Do you have heavy clay soil or loamy soil. MAKE your soil more friable by adding compost, manures etc. Water should drain through soil easily. I t should not sit on the top for any length of time. A greenhouse protects the plants from the drying sun so water less. Little plants only need a light watering each day for the first week or so, then a good watering each 2-3 days.

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17 Apr 20, Meg (Australia - sub-tropical climate)

What does it mean in the description to pick the tops once the plants settle?

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28 Aug 21, Janet (Australia - temperate climate)

I was interested in this also. It might be a typo but they said "start setting" not "settle". I believe they mean when the pods begin to form ie to set pods. As for the blackfly, Wikipedia was no help. Sometime tiny black bugs appear on the soft new foliage at the top of my plants. I assumed they were aphids.

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02 Dec 21, Celeste Archer (Canada - Zone 7b Mild Temperate climate)

Most likely the bugs are aphids. Ants actually enslave or farm the aphids. The aphids are placed on the juiciest part of the fava bean plant by the ants; and the aphids suck the sap. The aphids then excrete honeydew which is what the ants are after. I generally just hose off (water spray) the aphids - I have also found an organically acceptable spray/pesticide to target the aphids; I try to limit the use of the spray opting for water. You should take action as soon as you see aphids.

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21 Apr 20, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)

At the top of the broad bean plants there is a growing point - a cluster of new leaves -. When your plants have reached about a metre high (or less for small varieties) , pick out that bunch of leaves. It helps to prevent black fly infestations and encourages the plant to produce more beans from side shoots.

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16 Apr 20, Suem (Australia - temperate climate)

What does it mean when it says "Pick the tops out once beans start setting (to prevent blackfly) ."

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05 Apr 20, Robert Pye (Australia - temperate climate)

I was told to plant the seed so they mature for harvest in September, is that correct?

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